Most Haunted
by Mirror and Image
Summary: [Complete] Kaoru and Yahiko, recently orphaned, both have a special gift. Will it help or hinder as they continue to meet new... people?
1. Chapter 1

**Most Haunted**  
By Mirror and Image

* * *

Dictionary:

Busu: ugly

Tanuki: raccoon spirit

Kozou: gruff word for brat

Jou-chan: little lady

Baka: idiot/stupid

* * *

The sky was grey and overcast as the taxi pulled up the twenty foot driveway. Kamiya Kaoru was the first to step out, looking at the heavy clouds as the driver started pulling luggage from the trunk. Yahiko, her little brother, slipped out last, his body language matching her demeanor.

"This doesn't feel right," the ten year old boy muttered solemnly.

Kaoru subconsciously wrapped an arm around her brother's shoulders. "Of course it doesn't. Dad should be here for this."

Yahiko shrugged away from the affection, his edges still painfully rough since the funeral. Kaoru couldn't blame him, the anticipation and joy of the move had been horribly ruined with their father's unexpected death. Kaoru looked to their new home for the first time, at the dull blue of the siding and the browned grass of their tiny lawn.

A duffle bag and a suitcase in hand, the blue eyed girl helped the taxi driver carry luggage inside. Yahiko had already disappeared, a trick he was getting very good at in the past three weeks. The house was small, even by Japanese standards, and with no furniture it gave the place an empty, ghostly impression. Even Kaoru was able to smile at the irony.

"That's the last of it," the driver said. Kaoru pulled out of her daze and pulled out her wallet.

"Here," she said softly. As the driver was leaving, she took a chance. "Hey!" she called. "Your sister wants you to know that you're doing the right thing."

The driver stopped cold, openly staring at her. "... What?"

"Anyway, thank you very much!" Kaoru added quickly. She closed the door and loudly clicked the lock, imprisoning herself in her new "home." Leaning back against the door, she slid to the floor, staring at the shell of a house.

"Kaoru?" Yahiko softly padded in from somewhere and crouched down to her level. "What are we gonna do?"

The big sister smiled sadly. "I have no idea," she answered honestly. "But we'll figure it out together. Come here." She drew him in to a hug, and for once Yahiko did not shy away, instead rubbing his face into her collarbone, desperate for comfort. The girl rocked back and forth slightly, and it was their first memory of their new home.

Surprisingly quiet, considering what was to come.

* * *

It was two days of unpacking. The two bedrooms filled in nicely, and both Kaoru and Yahiko felt better once they had an environment that reminded them of their original home at the dojo. The kitchen and great room filled out less well, but they had what they needed, and one corner of the great room was lovingly dedicated to their father. The other rooms were left blank for the simple reason that they no longer had any thing to fill it with, the rest of their belongings haven been sold long ago to make the last of the ends meet.

School was a twenty minute walk from their new home, and Kaoru learned very quickly that the two of them would be walking together if either of them wanted any piece from _them_. The market was blessedly quiet, however, and Kaoru happily bought what she needed. On the third day, Sunday, she and Yahiko worked together to make an attempt at a celebratory dinner, a "welcome home feast," that their father had talked about since his announcement of the move. Neither of them could let go of the idea that, if they cooked for him, he might show up.

In spite of that, both were very surprised to hear a knock on their door as they were sitting down to eat.

Kaoru first turned to Yahiko. "Is it him?" she asked, half afraid of the answer.

The ten year old shook his head, his rust colored eyes more red than normal. "No, I don't feel anything."

Sad and relieved at the same time, Kaoru stood up and went to open the door.

She looked up, and up, and up - that was how tall he was, to see the boyish face of a man with a fishbone in his mouth. "... May I help you?"

"You're the new guys?" he asked in a course voice.

"Yes..." Kaoru drew out.

"I'm your new neighbor," he grinned, pushing past Kaoru and letting himself in. "Hey, I came just in time, you havin' dinner?"

Yahiko, who had been glaring from just inside the kitchen, spat out, "Not for useless rooster-heads that wait two days before introducing themselves!"

Kaoru could not cover her laugh quickly enough; Yahiko's description had been true. The tall man did have the wild main of a rooster, his read headband and dirty white blazer only enhancing the image.

"Try saying that to my face, kozou!" The tall man strode in further, entering the kitchen and then happily sitting down to eat. Kaoru hastily followed, wondering dimly how she was ending up feeding this unnamed guest.

"Name's Sanosuke," the man offered, even as he took a bite out of his rice bowl. "You?"

"Kamiya Kaoru," the older sister offered.

"A bird-head doesn't need to know my name!"

"Yahiko!"

"Kaoru! You just ruined it!"

"Brats are brats no matter what their names are."

"What?! Say that again, rooster-head!"

"Whatever you want, kozou!"

Kaoru burst out laughing, the first real laugh she'd had in ages; it felt like. Sanosuke and Yahiko soon joined in. It was an auspicious meeting, but for the Kamiya's one that was well timed.

Sanosuke, or Sano, as he preferred, quickly explained that his job had a lot of traveling. He'd only just gotten home that afternoon. His job? A traveling fighter. Kaoru didn't quite understand the specifics, but she sensed that she didn't want to try. Sano just as quickly ate through all their dinner and drank through all their beverages - complaining the whole time that there should have been beer. Yahiko tried to agree once, but the patented death glare from Kaoru quickly shut him up.

It seemed like no time had passed before Sano bid his goodnights and left them to their own devices.

Kaoru looked around her sparse kitchen, Yahiko cleaning up. "You know, this house doesn't seem so empty, suddenly."

Yahiko glanced at her covertly. "Uhn," he said softly.

* * *

The next day loomed large for the two Kamiyas, for several reasons. The first was that it was the first day at the new school, both middle and high school. The second was the excruciating twenty minute walk.

Kaoru did some last minute straightening of her uniform. It was her last school's uniform; she did not have the time yet to buy the new one. Yahiko only needed a different blazer, so he substituted by simply not wearing it, instead opting for a burgundy colored sweater.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

Yahiko looked paler than he had five minutes ago. "Yeah..."

They walked out of the house and down the road. Within five minutes _they_ arrived.

_"Can you see me?"_

_"You horrid son! How could you do this to me?"_

_"Bastard! You said you'd be with me forever!"_

_"Mommy! Mommy! I'm right here! Why can't you see me?"_

Their energies were so negative. More often than not, what kept them here was not positive. They swirled around people, but it wasn't long before they massed around Kaoru and Yahiko. For Kaoru, it was comparatively alright. Aside from the occasional absent comment to them that would turn heads of other people, she could only see and hear them. While that in itself was often disconcerting, it was something she could deal with.

Yahiko, however, could not see or hear them. But he could _feel_ them. Their negative energies sank into him, draining him and literally sickening him. At the old school he would occasionally have retching or fainting spells. Many just assumed he was sickly. It frustrated the boy, even more so because he couldn't say anything - no one understood how real ghosts were.

It was easier when they walked together; their combined energy somehow fended off the worst of the energies. Today, Yahiko discreetly took Kaoru's hand, taking comfort in her presence. The older sister let him, knowing that he would not have this layer of defense at the middle school.

Blessedly, the pressure of the ghosts let up and Yahiko coolly pulled away, not wanting to loose whatever image he thought he had. Kaoru smiled but did not comment as they separated to go to their adjoining schools.

For Kaoru, it was her last term. It was awkward to only have one semester at a school before graduating, but it was necessary. She was introduced to her class, the students looked at her with the expected mix of curiosity, annoyance, and pity; she took her seat and ignored all of them.

She had wanted to go to college, but their present circumstances had quickly squashed those hopes. They had sold everything, even their beloved dojo, to make enough ends meet for the move and for her to finish high school. Immediately after that, Kaoru would get a job as something to pay for Yahiko's schooling, and only then would she entertain the idea of college.

The classes were predictable, there being virtually no change from her old school and here. There were no ghosts that she saw, and that made life much, much simpler. She ate lunch on the roof, enjoying looking down at the students below. Turning, she watched the middle school students in gym class in the other field. Kaoru tried to spot Yahiko, but to no avail.

After school, Kaoru waited patiently outside for her little brother at the gate; and the boy finally dragged himself out of the building.

"You look pale," she commented, "is one in there?"

"Yeah," he answered. His head was hung low. "I think whoever it was might have killed themselves. There's so much sadness and bitterness. I think it followed me around the entire damn building."

"Is it here now?" she asked.

"No, I think it's only in the building. When I was outside I was fine."

Kaoru looked to the building, hoping to see the specter that bothered her brother so; but she could see nothing. Shrugging, she said, "We'll work something out later. Right now we just have to go home."

"Don't remind me," he mourned.

It was just as excruciating that evening as it was that morning. When they arrived home, Yahiko nearly collapsed onto the floor, and Kaoru had a splitting headache.

"When I die," Yahiko muttered from the floor, "Remind me to never, ever, _ever_ do something as stupid as become a ghost."

"When _I_ die," Kaoru replied, "I'll make sure to make your life miserable."

"You already do, busu."

After a moment, they both laughed, and they felt better.

After supper and before homework, the two pulled out their shinai and moved outside. The air was crisp, chilled, but not so cold that a workout wouldn't warm them up; and that was just what they did. Their dojo may have been sold, but that didn't mean that their schooling had stopped.

"No, no, Yahiko!" Kaoru called as she happily sent him spilling into the earth. "The hilt, the hilt! You focus too much on the blade and you loose sight of your footing."

"Shut up! Busu tanuki!"

That earned him a hard thwack on the head. "Is that any way to treat your sensei?"

"Sensei? You're just a busu!"

A vein popped on Kaoru's head and her eyes burned with fire. "Come here you little delinquent! I'll show you who's 'busu' around here!" And thus the chase was on. Their new home, while small, had a yard that opened up to a small forest. An ideal place to hunt down insulting little brothers and pound them into submission, Kaoru believed. It gave her plenty of places to sneak up on him.

Laughing the whole way, they raced around the woods, mock sparring, teasing, and having fun for the first time since their father had passed on. Yahiko broke into their backyard first, an exclamation of Kaoru's looks on his lips when he suddenly stilled. Kaoru still had momentum and couldn't stop herself in time. Sliding, she crashed into her little brother and on the way down, she could have sworn she saw streaks of red flitter across her vision before disappearing.

"Yahiko?" she asked between gulps of breath.

"I thought I felt..."

That was enough. Kaoru rushed up to her feet and did a quick scan of the area. There was nobody in sight, either alive or dead. Still, she turned around slowly, taking in everything.

"It's gone now," her little brother sat up, running a hand through his sweaty hair. "I must have imagined it if you didn't see anything."

Slowly, Kaoru's nerves calmed. "Maybe," she admitted. "I think we've had enough practice for today," she smiled, "so let's go set up a good hot bath. You soak first and I'll start dinner."

Yahiko bristled. "No way! No way! No way in hell! You take the bath first, _I'll_ cook!"

Her smile grew exponentially. That was always the best way to get the bath first.

* * *

Go to Part 2


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

The following morning, Yahiko was waiting at the door, yelling up the stairs, "Come on, busu! We don't have all day!"

"You little brat! I'm coming!" She knew the only reason he wasn't leaving without her was because of the walk. Now that the locals had realized that the two of them could see and sense them, it was going to be a much more difficult walk this morning. Yahiko was going to need her and she was going to need him if they weren't going to get overwhelmed. Once they got used to the area, they'd probably be able to make the walk alone, but for now, every walk to and from school was going to be made together.

Running down the stairs and slipping into her shoes, she grabbed her little brother's hand and rushed out. They weren't exactly running late, but if she was going to talk with the ghost in the middle school and see if it would leave Yahiko alone, they'd need to get there early.

Sano was across the street and waved them a good morning as they raced down the street. Neither cared about that as they proceeded. Kaoru kept a firm grip on her brother; if yesterday was any indication, they'd need the contact and the chances of Yahiko initiating that kind of contact were abysmal at best.

However, about half way to school, as they crossed a busy street, _they_ started to appear. It was such a shock that Kaoru stopped short and Yahiko suddenly clutched his head, involuntarily leaning into his older sister.

"Busu! What..." Yahiko's voice trailed off into a grunt as he buried his head deeper into her side.

Kaoru ran over the past few minutes in her head. Yesterday, the walk from their home to school had been filled with ghosts. It wasn't until the last quarter of their walk that the spirits hadn't had so much pressure. However, in their run here, she hadn't seen a single ghost and Yahiko hadn't felt any. Once they crossed this street however, they were suddenly inundated.

"This unworthy one wishes to know what has occurred, if it is not too much trouble?" she asked in an older tongue, turning her eyes to one of the dead. The old lord looked down his nose; then snorted.

_"He's awake. We cannot enter his territory while he is."_

_"Help me!"_

_"Mommy! Why can't you see me?"_

_"Don't touch her when you said you'd die without me!"_

_"You can see us, do something!"_

_"Bitch! I'll kill you!"_

Kaoru held Yahiko close, ignoring the strange looks living passers-by gave them. It was a sudden transition, from peace to all at once. And somehow, their home was evidently in "his" territory; whoever "he" was. And he'd just awakened. Great. Just what they needed.

Yahiko gave a little tug. He pulled out of her side, looking better, if still a little pale. This time, he grabbed her wrist and pulled. "We're going to be late!" He didn't let go until they were within sight of the school. Then, he headed to the middle school while she raced to the high school, rearranging things in her head. The ghost of the middle school still needed addressing. Oh well, a skipped lunch one day wouldn't hurt.

* * *

That afternoon, Yahiko waited at the high school gates for his sister. This afternoon was the kendo club and Kaoru was going to try out, even if it was only one semester left. It wasn't the same as teaching, which she preferred, but it would give them a place that was close to the dojo. The club, after all, didn't have any rules about Yahiko not watching. Or joining in.

And it would provide a good respite from the ghost at the middle school. It was such a bitter spirit, and Yahiko could feel the anger and cynicism wherever he went in the building. It only made Yahiko pale and irritable, and if there was one thing he didn't need, was to be irritable. He didn't want to get into trouble with the teachers so early on, but if this kept up, he wasn't going to be able to keep his tongue.

Bitter. Angry. Why did this happen? Bitter.

Yahiko sucked in a breath and bit his lip, wincing. That was his middle school ghost. What the hell was it doing at the high school?

The bitterness passed and he looked up. Kaoru stood before him, also looking pale, smiling.

"Busu!" he snapped, "What the hell are you smiling about?" Then he growled. The irritability he got from sensing that spirit so unexpectedly was uncontrolled. He hadn't meant to say that.

Kaoru rumpled his hair affectionately. "Well, Yahiko-chan, that's one less worry for you."

"Don't call me--what?"

Together they started to walk back home. "I talked to your spirit at lunch." She made a face. "From right around Meiji. Wouldn't do anything unless you beat him in kendo."

Yahiko made a noise. "I coulda done that easily."

"I agree, except you can't see him and he's insubstantial."

Nodding, Yahiko admitted the drawback. If the ghost didn't have enough power to manifest even moving objects, there was no way for him to beat that spirit's misty ass.

"So I told him if I could beat the kendo club, he'd have to be on the other side of the building from you, wherever you are."

"Of course, you beat the club."

"I am a senior. All but one," she said. "Raijuta-sensei was definitely glad to have me on the team, and Yutaro-kun is actually quite smitten with him."

"Yutaro? Isn't that a guy's name!"

"Yep. But this boy is definitely all about somehow getting Raijuta-sensei to teach him more about kendo."

Yahiko sighed in relief. One less problem to deal with. One of these days, he'd be strong enough to deal with the spirits on his own and not have to constantly ask Kaoru to help him out. Someday. But for now, this would have to do.

"Wait, does this mean he's going to haunt the kendo hall?" he whined. The kendo hall was supposed to be the one place they could practice with other living people.

"Thanks to our bargain, no," Kaoru replied. "But he may show up from time to time."

"Yay."

"Oh I don't know," was the teasing tone. "It'll be good to have someone your age around while you're giving lessons to those juniors and seniors."

"Busu! What have you gotten me into?"

Kaoru laughed, prancing ahead of him. He chased after her, ignoring the growing headache from the local spirits. She kept evading him in the busy streets, both calling names at each other and laughing.

"Gotcha!" he leapt and latched onto her back, reaching up to give her a noogie. When Kaoru didn't respond, however, he froze, looking around. She only got serious if something happened. Aside from his headache (which contact with her was helping to decrease) he didn't sense anything. "Kaoru," he whispered, unsure what stilled her.

"This street."

Yahiko looked around again. This was the street where they suddenly got inundated this morning. Given his current headache, ghosts were definitely in the area. But he couldn't tell where, he didn't have that kind of skill.

"What do you see," he whispered back.

"Across the street. No more spirits. At all."

"But the place was teeming with them yesterday."

Kaoru nodded. "... I know."

* * *

The rest of the walk was blessedly, but eerily, quiet. The pressure released for Yahiko, and Kaoru didn't see a hint of anything. They walked home carefully, not sure what to expect. This had never happened before, their _presence_ was always there.

Practice was a well-needed release of tension. They practiced their strikes at the edge of the trees of their yard. Kaoru saw Sanosuke's head pop over the fence once in a while, a fishbone in his mouth. She had no idea who her other neighbor was; had knocked on their door once or twice to introduce herself but no one was ever home.

There was an odd rustle in the woods, and both siblings paused, looking behind them.

"Red hair?"

Yahiko looked to his sister. "A ghost? I didn't feel anything; at least I don't think I did."

Kaoru stared intensely were she had seen the hair. The woods were dark, the green fading to darker and darker shades until she could only see blackness. Nothing moved; there was absolute stillness.

Finally, she turned around. "Come on, Yahiko, let's get diner going."

* * *

It was like that for the next two weeks. There was stillness and quiet right up until that one street - some kind of boundary? - where the ghosts bombarded their senses at once. One Sunday, Kaoru bravely ventured out. It took some prodding to say nothing of how many miles she biked, but the former assistant master was able to discover that ghosts refrained themselves from entering her neighborhood. In fact, it was a near perfect three mile radius around their house.

She had no idea if it was because of a ghost or something else. Their mother, whom had given her children the gift, had once told Kaoru of spiritual beings much more powerful than ghosts. One such monster had eaten half her mother's, Kaoru's grandmother's, soul. While Kaoru was not sure she believed the story, she was slowly becoming to believe that she had some kind of powerful spirit living near her home.

It was Wednesday, a freezing rain falling and soaking through her coat and clothes. She had been running for several minutes, anxious to get back home and take the clothes off the line. Yahiko couldn't do it; he had suffering from a fever for the last two days. Oh, she'd hate to have to do the laundry again!

Shivering, she finally jogged up her driveway and around to the back of her home. Somewhere between frantic and hurried, she pulled the sweaters, blazers, socks, and other clothes from her line, stuffing them on her arm before pulling at the next. The grass was icy, slippery, and her feet were completely numb as she continued to slide around to get her precious articles of clothing.

She ran into the house to drop off her armful, returning into the poor weather for the second trip when her foot slid forward unexpectedly. Pinwheeling her arms, Kaoru could not keep her balance and she pitched backward, striking her head on the stone step.

Kaoru didn't know how long she lay in the rain, water up her skirt and penetrating all of her clothing. But, she did very quickly become aware of the red hair that she had been catching glimpses of. It was attached to a head; with lavender eyes; with a cross-shaped scar; with a sword at his belt.

"You," she whispered, the rain falling through his face and onto hers, almost like tears. The cold ran through her suddenly and she shuddered.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice a rich but quiet contralto. He bent down further, his hand reaching to touch her but stopping inches from doing so. "You hit your head very hard. Is there something this one can do?"

Only then was Kaoru aware of the hideous throbbing sensation bombarding her skull. Groaning, she rolled over, the icy wet grass soaking even further into her coat and uniform.

"Miss, you should not try to move. You may have done yourself injury."

"I'm fine," she muttered, clutching her head. "What are you doing here?"

The violet eyed man smiled gently. "This one saw you fall, he did. This one was concerned."

Kaoru sat up slowly. She could see now that the red headed specter must have been a low level samurai. His clothes were far from rich, in fact they were worn, almost threadbare. But the sword was clearly well maintained, the scabbard freshly lacquered and the hilt seemingly new. A recent promotion before his death?

Then she saw her clothes littered about the muddy, icy grass.

Cursing in apathy, she numbly began gathering the fallen laundry.

"Miss, this one must ask that you go inside. The laundry can wait until tomorrow."

"What's your name?" she asked, ignoring his concern.

The lavender eyed man blinked, as if thinking about it for the first time.

"... Himura Kenshin."

"Well, Himura-sama, I don't wish to be rude, but I am very busy." She stood up and took a moment to get her bearings, fighting back the head rush and hoping she was being polite enough. Samurai were always so _sensitive_ about how you addressed them.

This one seemed shocked, however. "No, no! Do not call this unworthy one Himura-sama! Kenshin will do."

Kaoru paused, not expecting that reaction. The samurai, Kenshin, bowed. "This one is sorry to have disturbed you, he is. However, may there be another visit? If only to check up on your well-being."

"... Okay," she said softly, bowing her head lightly. She adjusted the rest of her soaked clothing and went back inside. Yahiko, thick comforter wrapped around him, was in the hall, sleepily staring.

"What was that?" he asked. "It didn't feel like a ghost, but..." He left it hanging.

Kaoru answered honestly. "I don't know."

* * *

Go to Part 3


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

Kaoru stayed home with Yahiko the next day, her head too soar for her to consider going to school. They made a miserable pair, Yahiko coughing and fevered, Kaoru achy and irritable. The older sister was certain they would have killed each other if they weren't too out of it to care. They actually even worked together on the cooking! Kaoru cut vegetables - her only real skill - while Yahiko mixed them into a soup mix, adding milk and cheese and bits of meat.

The combination of the soup and some hastily made hot chocolate was delicious. It was still raining, their entire yard was covered in a thin coat of ice, and the pair had fun watching people slip and slide as they tried to walk down the street. That afternoon they fell asleep, wrapped in their respective comforters, watching some movie on television, and when Kaoru woke up that evening she felt much better. Supper was leftover soup and some dried fish that she's unearthed in the fridge. Yahiko also seemed to be feeling better; he ate everything on his plate and asked for seconds.

The next day, Kaoru checked, and Yahiko still had a slight fever. He complained, but ultimately complied with her order to stay home one more day.

The rain had finally cleared, but it was still bitterly cold. Kaoru snuggled into her thick overcoat and cursed that high school girls were supposed to wear skirts. It was a miracle she didn't have a fever after the laundry fiasco.

Stepping out onto the street, she began her quiet walk. Without her little brother, it was a lonely walk.

As soon as she thought that, however, he appeared. He was still in threadbare clothes, his scabbard was still freshly lacquered, his hair still fiery red.

"Are you feeling better miss?"

"Kamiya Kaoru. Just Kaoru will do; and yes, I'm feeling much better, thank you for asking," she replied.

"That is good. When you did not reappear from your house yesterday, this one was very concerned."

"Thank you, Kenshin-sama--"

"No, please, Kenshin. This one is not worthy of the title of 'sama!'"

Kaoru paused in her walking. "Why?"

Kenshin paused, his gentle face becoming wistfully sad. "Because..." His eyes were far away. "Because this one just isn't."

Leaving the topic, Kaoru moved on to another question. "May I ask how it is that you can appear here?"

"Oro?"

"You are in some kind of boundary. I don't know how it works, but other ghosts can't enter this neighborhood. It happened a few days after we moved here; they say that 'he' had awakened, and since then they can't come here."

Kenshin tilted his head, frowning in thought. "This one does not know. This one has only recently come here, he does not remember before."

"Oy, Jou-chan!" A car pulled up beside here, and the rooster headed Sanosuke stuck his head out the window. "What're you doing standing there talking to air? Ain't you got school?"

The blue eyed girl blinked; then looked at her wrist watch. "Oh my god I'm going to be late!" She turned, but the red-headed samurai was no longer there.

"Jump in Kamiya, I'll get you there on time!" Sano reached over and opened his passenger side door.

Without thinking, Kaoru jumped in. The car reeked of beer and alcohol, cans of it littering every possible inch. The high school student suddenly wondered if this was a bright idea as her white jacketed neighbor gunned the engine and tore off down the street.

When they passed the boundary, at least half a dozen ghosts filled Sano's car, demanding where she was yesterday and again prevailing upon her to, in effect, do their bidding. Kaoru leaned forward, groaning at all the noise mixing with the smell of alcohol and the vibration of the car to make her feel sick. Was this how Yahiko felt every morning? No wonder he'd retch as a child.

Sanosuke didn't notice it at all, however, and screeched to a halt when they had arrived at her school. Kaoru gratefully got out and ran to her school, not even acknowledging her neighbor.

* * *

The next day, Saturday, the walk to and from school was much more bearable, because Yahiko joined her. He almost whined his way into taking Saturday off (especially since it was a half day), but Kaoru bullied him back into school, not wanting him to miss any more work than he already had.

On the way home, they treated themselves to a quick warm meal at a local café, choosing a corner booth and hiding from the ghosts swarming the main serving area. They talked of trivial things, how their school days went, Yahiko's complaints on how much work he'd have to make up, etc.

Finally, just as they were about to enter their house, a voice called out, "Yo!" Sanosuke wandered over to the fence. "Power's out for some strange reason. I called the power company; all they're saying is that they're working on it."

Yahiko muttered an oath he was supposed to be too young to know while Kaoru shivered. The weather wasn't exactly comfortable, and no heat definitely wasn't looking promising.

"Why don't you come on over," their neighbor offered. "I have an old fashioned kitchen so I can cook us a warm meal."

The siblings looked at each other.

"If you provide the food, of course." Both groaned. Even when being neighborly, he was free-loading. Somehow, that wasn't a surprise.

A quick trip inside provided enough food for a decent meal (assuming Sano was right and he did have a fire-pit in his kitchen). Both walked through the front door and came unbelievably close to dropping said food.

When the image of a "bachelor pad" comes to mind, a little bit of mess does come forth. Enough for people to call for a "woman's" touch. However, Sanosuke wasn't just a little bit of mess. Neither Kaoru nor Yahiko were certain that they could even take off their shoes to step up to the hall. Empty (and old) pizza boxes, take-out containers, plastic plates, instant food trays, and of course, the empty beer cans and sake bottles. That wasn't even getting into the dust, laundry, what looked like files, and - was that pile moving??

"I know that women have the traditional role of keeping things clean," Kaoru mumbled.

"But this is a bit much even for him," Yahiko finished.

"_You have no idea._" Kaoru jumped, not expecting the pale specter to appear by her side. The woman was tall and elegant, dressed straight from about twenty years ago. And young; oh so very young. Seeing a ghost not even past twenty like this was always hard.

Sano poked his head in from down the hall.

"You comin'?"

"_Inconsiderate, boorish, foul-mouthed, binge-drinking, Neanderthal-like, uneducated_," the litany went on and on and on. Kaoru had no idea one could be so descriptively insulting without diving into a potty-mouthed portrait of scum. And as the stream of words continued, the mental pictures produced became more and more deformed. The image of a rooster-Sanosuke being hunted by a hit man with an extreme fear of chickens had Kaoru biting her lip to keep from laughing.

"It's saying something funny, isn't it," Yahiko whispered, a huge grin splitting his face open.

Kaoru could only nod, as an image of a two year old Sano out chugging an army of alcoholics made her put her hand to her mouth. Taking a deep breath, Kaoru did her best to ignore the litany of insults originating next to her and put on her kendo-instructor face.

"Sagara Sanosuke!" she shouted, shifting attention from the biting tongue of the ghost to herself. "You had better bring me a broom and mop this _instant_, or you won't like some of consequences that _both_ Yahiko and I will give you!"

"Wha-"

"You, rooster-headed Neanderthal, will pick up all this trash! I refuse to have either Yahiko or myself deal with it. I will mop and scrub, Yahiko will dry." Kaoru didn't want her little brother getting sick again, so he wouldn't deal with water in this cold weather if she had any say about it.

Sanosuke stood there, dumb-founded.

The spirit beside her shook her head, brows creasing in anger. "_Simple minds can't even take simple orders. I'd slap him silly!_"

Yahiko, feeling everything the spirit was radiating, dropped his foodstuff onto the entry way, ran down the hall and slapped him, crawling up his back and gnawing at the spiky hair.

"When busu gives you a command, you do it!" he shouted between mouthfuls of hair. Yahiko still poking and prodding, their tall neighbor finally went about getting the necessary materials.

"How bad is the rest of the house?" Kaoru muttered.

"_About the same as this. I take it you can see and hear me?_"

"Yes. Yahiko can feel you." She shivered, the chill in the air suddenly rushing through her. "I thought all ghosts in this area disappeared."

The ghost huffed. "_As if such a mere wave of power could make me leave this house._"

"You're here for the house?"

"_It's been in my family for about five generations. Then this idiot gets the house and ruins it. I've been trying to oust him, but to no avail._"

Kaoru couldn't help but smile. "I might be able to do something about that."

"_That'd be nice._" The elegant spirit turned and bowed. "_I am Megumi._"

"Kaoru."

"Jou-chan? Who you talking to?"

Kaoru smiled, an evil thought occurring in her head.

"Are you superstitious, Sano?"

"Che. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Rooster-head!" Yahiko yelled, once more gnawing on Sano's head. "Work while talking! Pick up your mess!" In response, the tall neighbor easily flipped Yahiko off of him, but he did start putting trash into a garbage bag.

"Well?"

Sano growled around a fishbone in his mouth. "Every fighter has a little superstition. That's why sumo wrestlers throw salt into the ring to purify it."

Kaoru smiled. That was all she needed. Now she just had to talk to Megumi in private. Yahiko, however, picked up on what she was getting at and kept up the idea.

"Baka!" he shouted. "Given how old this house must be, you might have moved into a haunted house! What do your superstitions say about that!"

With Yahiko having gotten the ball rolling, Kaoru pushed it further. "Don't you know anything about this house? Who built it; if there were any murders here; who lived here? Don't you?"

"What if they don't like what you're doing to the place? What if you need to make offerings to appease them?"

"Shut up!" Sano shouted. "Like any of that ghost stuff is real."

Megumi was already laughing, and both Kaoru and Yahiko had a hard time keeping themselves from chuckling as well. The seed had been planted. Once the place was actually clean, Megumi could start doing her ghostly tricks and their rooster-headed friend would actually notice. He was about to get scared shitless the instant he started to mistreat the house. And depending on how superstitious he was, Sano was going to do anything to "appease" her spirit.

"_I'm going to have the most fun I've had in years._"

"I'll bet," Kaoru murmured. Rolling up her sleeves now that Sano had cleared most of the hall, she went about scrubbing the floors, ignoring the chill of the water. The three worked on the house for hours. Megumi kept offering the insults of a sharp-tongued kitsune which both Kaoru and Yahiko had a hard time not reacting to. Kaoru because they were just too funny; Yahiko because the mirth that the spirit emitted was hard to _not_ react to.

At some point during the afternoon, the power finally came back on, but Sano insisted on having them stay (so he could use their food, Kaoru was certain...) and both the boys cooked a good meal. While they were in the kitchen, Kaoru took the opportunity to openly speak with Megumi.

It wasn't often she met such a friendly spirit. Most were either too busy getting her to do their bidding, or begging to have her pass on messages to loved ones. Megumi was neither. She merely loved her home that had been in her family had built. She told fascinating stories about the history of the house, how it had once been a sanctuary from busy Edo until Tokyo started to buy all the land and develop the area. After her untimely death, her beloved house was up for sale, and she refused to leave it. She had too many happy memories for this house and had too much into improving the house to simply leave.

As before, Megumi proved to have a biting tongue, and Kaoru allowed herself to enjoy the company of a spirit for probably the first time in her life. The few times Yahiko had poked his head in, a smile would always grace his lips, and he chuckled at something he couldn't hear.

"You're good for my little brother," Kaoru said. "So many are bitter and angry or sad and regretful."

Megumi huffed. "_Only fools would stick around for petty rivalries or to try and correct mistakes that can't be undone. I want to see what becomes of my house. It's been through many changes, and I can't wait to see what future owners will do. Besides, I get to play with my guests. And now I know that I may come across someone like you some day._"

Kaoru bowed. "Thank you for the compliment."

"Yahiko-chan, does your nee-san always talk to herself?"

"Don't call me -chan!"

Thus was the start of dinner. It was lively. Megumi tried not to say too much. Seeing how Kaoru and Yahiko reacted, Megumi didn't want to reveal herself to Sanosuke just yet. But she still put out the silver-tongued one-liner from time to time that, unfortunately, sent Yahiko and Kaoru into peels of laughter that Sano never understood.

After dinner, they finished cleaning the rest of the house. Both Sano and Megumi wished them farewell as they crawled back to their home and Kaoru started a bath for Yahiko. He got it first because Kaoru insisted on not seeing him sick again. While he soaked, she called the power company to find out why they were without power for so long. Evidently, a car crashed into a telephone pole, taking down several major power lines. Why the car crashed, though, was a mystery. The driver merely claimed that his breaks suddenly didn't work.

Kaoru mused about it in the hot water when she finally got her bath. As was typical, she always wondered if there was a ghostly connection behind it. Especially when things were unexplained. She also couldn't help but wonder if a ghost was so mad that she wasn't answering it that it had tried to do something to get her attention. But then, she and Yahiko hadn't been in the area that long, so she strongly doubted that a ghost had been that angered by her yet. Give her about five years, and someone would undoubtedly try something, but for now, there was no reason.

Shaking out the bad thoughts, Kaoru dunked her head down and soaked, willing the delightfully hot water to wash away her usual worries.

* * *

The next two weeks feel back into routine. Winter finally came fully with the first snow, which washed away in rain the next day. Sanosuke started confessing (oh so slowly) that he was having strange occurrences at his home. At first, something misplaced would mysteriously appear in the exact same spot where he left it. The occasional creak or bump in the night. It was when breath kept whispering in his ear and when furniture in the room rearranged itself at night that he really started to get spooked.

Kaoru and Yahiko could only laugh.

The ghost at Yahiko's school kept true to his word and stayed away from the young kendo student. It was only briefly that they might come across each other, and the spirit Yutaro would quickly leave Yahiko alone. Raijuta's kendo practices started to appear haunted as well, though nowhere near the level that Megumi was bringing down on Sanosuke. Still, Yutaro left Yahiko alone if he joined Kaoru with the kendo club.

The street was still a jolt, going from full to empty. The headache that Yahiko got when going to school was still substantial, but he was getting used to it, just as Kaoru was getting used to the sudden pleas for her attention. They had both discussed, at length, what could have caused it. Neither could come up with a suitable answer. There was also the samurai with the freshly-lacquered sheath, Kenshin. Kaoru had only met him twice and Yahiko had a very hard time describing what he felt the brief time he'd felt the small samurai spirit. How was it that he and Megumi were still in the area when others weren't? Megumi had made it clear that she wouldn't leave her house. Did that mean the sudden lack of spirits in the area was just outside and not for houses in the area? If that was so, why was Kenshin around? It was a puzzle.

Dissection of mysteries and school studies aside, they did grow closer with both Sanosuke and Megumi. When Sanosuke was on his fighting trips (Kaoru got the impression he was merely a professional fighter/wrestler, not a thug-for-hire, like he'd made himself out to be), the ghost was happy to let Yahiko and Kaoru in to spend time with her. It was good for all of them to be in the company of a friendly ghost and she provided a good reprieve from the negative spirits that existed outside. Sanosuke was also fun to be with in his own leeching kind of way. He thought it his neighborly duty to bring them out to fun clubs, cheap-but-good restaurants, etc. Though the local spirits would dampen things, Kaoru was beginning to notice that Sanosuke somehow helped keep them at bay. She hadn't figured out how yet. But it was something both she and Yahiko talked about in a way to try and problem-solve their ghost problems.

One evening, as the moon rose in a pristine, clear night, Kaoru was sitting on the back steps, watching the stars. Yahiko was already in bed, exhausted from their kendo practice, but Kaoru just couldn't seem to get cozy. So she came out to watch the night sky with a piping hot cup of cocoa.

A tiny breeze whistled through her and she shivered. Even with her pajamas, robe, overcoat, and comforter, she still felt the night air.

"I wonder if ghosts get cold," thinking of the threadbare garments of Kenshin and feeling an unusual pang of worry.

"We do not."

He was in their yard again; his red hair now silver in the moonlight; his face a pale cream and his entire presence seem opalescent. A true creature of the night.

"I've been wondering where you were, samurai-san," she said, unconsciously scooting over and offering him a seat. He walked up gratefully to her back step, but did not go further.

"This one must say again, he is not a samurai; he is merely a rurouni, a wanderer."

"I see." Kaoru took another sip of her cocoa, not sure what to say to her little enigma.

"This one has seen you and your brother many times with a shinai, but he does not recognize the style. What school do you attend?" Kenshin looked at her with silver eyes, only a hint of their original lavender stubbornly remained against the moonlight.

Kaoru sighed, bringing her legs up and cocooning herself in her comforter. "Kamiya Kasshin Ryu; the style of my father." She sipped her cocoa again and looked up to the moon. "He passed away four months ago."

Kenshin gasped almost inaudibly, his eyes widening. He immediately bowed his head, saying, "This one is extremely sorry for bringing up such painful thoughts. He will not--"

"No, no," she replied quickly. "It's good, actually, to talk about him. Yahiko isn't ready to yet, he's still running from it. He was a great man, and a great teacher, and a great father. He believed in katsujinken, the sword that protects and revitalizes. A blade isn't supposed to be used to kill people, but protect people. Honestly, it makes no difference nowadays, because no one uses swords; but he drummed the philosophy into all of his students. You did not practice in his dojo until you understood that you would only use your training in the protection of others. As soon as you lifted the sword selfishly, you were banned. I remember, just before Yahiko was born, my father throwing out a student: Hiruma Gohei. Father took him down with just one blow." Kaoru snuggled deeper into her comforter, smiling at the memories.

"I remember telling him that night that I would be the next master of the dojo. Mother wasn't pleased in the slightest." Sipping her drink, she continued, gazing at the moon. "Yahiko said about the same thing two years ago. Father was so proud that we believed in him so much. When he died..."

The pain struck, sharp as ever in spite of the time that had passed, and Kaoru lowered her head. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she felt the grief seep into her.

"Kaoru-dono should not apologize," Kenshin said. She started; it was the first time he had used her name. "It was this one's fault for bringing up such bittersweet memories." The moon drenched specter reached out, as if to touch Kaoru's hand in comfort, but stopped inches away, as if remembering himself. It was not the first time he had done this, Kaoru remembered.

"This one's parents died when he was very young. Not long after, he was sold into slavery, and his captors were brutally slain. It was after that this one met his Shishou, and Shishou taught him swordsmanship. Hiten Misturugi Ryu. It is also a blade that protects; but this one left before the tutelage was over." Here the samurai faltered, his gentle moon-kissed face very far away. "There was... much pain before this one finally understood how to properly use the sword."

Slowly, deliberately, he pulled at the hilt of his sword, and Kaoru saw the blade for the first time. She clear forgot about the cold as she marveled at what Kenshin half drew.

"A... a sakabatou?"

"Yes," Kenshin said softly. "This one now bears this to protect all those who are in his sight; and he will continue to protect until he can no longer move."

"So that's why you're still bound here, you still want to protect people."

"Yes, that, too..." he murmured. Kaoru was about to ask more when he turned, his gentle smile back. "Kaoru-dono has been out a long time, she has. She should get inside where there is warmth."

It was the clearest definition of the end of a conversation that Kaoru had ever seen. Shivering, she stood and stepped to her doorway. She stopped, however, and turned slowly.

"Kenshin," she said slowly, softly, "do you know that you're dead?"

A cloud passed over the moon, hiding the ghost in such darkness that she almost thought he had left. But finally,

"... yes."

"You... you don't have to wait for an invitation to visit," she pushed, guessing at why she had so rarely seen him. "You're welcome at any time."

The samurai - no, the rurouni - looked up and smiled. Kaoru felt herself warm immediately with that smile. "Thank you."

And he was gone.

* * *

Go to Part 4


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4**

The next day three inches of snow fell, and winter was finally here to stay. Yahiko and Kaoru shivered in their overcoats as they went to school. They reached the boundary and both instinctively hesitated. Yahiko felt the pressure of the ghosts even from the safe side of the street.

Kaoru offered her hand, but he stubbornly ignored it and walked across the street. He knew that his older sister would not be with him forever to hold his hand. He would have to get used to the pressure and the negative emotions on his own eventually. Unbeknownst to him, Kaoru smiled and shrugged her shoulders, letting him test himself.

The dark cloud engulfed him, and Yahiko felt everything that the ghosts were feeling; anger, hatred, irritation, frustration, sadness, despair. It was an endless litany of negativity and weighted on Yahiko's shoulders. He refused to sag under the weight, however, and determinedly kept his back straight, his eyes straight forward, his jaw set. A fellow schoolmate jogged by and asked what he was so mad at.

"Idiot! I'm trying to be a man here!" he snapped.

Kaoru, just behind him, was murmuring and muttering. Obviously, she was trying to explain to the ghosts that she could not help them. Yahiko watched covertly; she had tried this before - several times - but never with success. If anything, Yahiko felt the pressure building, the negativity seeping into him as other students calmly walked by unknowing of the building tension around them.

"Hey, busu," he started.

"I wasn't put here to do your bidding! Now shut up!!"

Everyone was staring. Kaoru was oblivious to this, her eyes shut tight and her arms shaking at her sides.

Yahiko thought quickly. "Of course you are, busu tanuki!" he shouted. "Why is it so hard for you to do one little favor for me? Are you insecure or something? It's just one extra kata!!" The pressure seemed to release slightly, Yahiko assumed that _they_ had given up for the morning.

Kaoru, to her credit, didn't break step from Yahiko's opening. "Don't be stupid! It's too advanced for you! You're not ready!"

"The hell I'm not ready! You're always making me do extra strokes at home!" The boy could feel the negativity finally disperse, his fake anger giving it an escape.

"Baka! Why can't you ever listen to reason?"

"Busu! Busu tanuki!!"

Their argument quickly, happily, built up to an outright explosion that lasted all the way to the school gates. The fight was the talk of the middle school, many students asking Yahiko why he had been fighting with his sister, hadn't they been very close? The rusty eyed youth only huffed, muttering that they didn't know what they were talking about. His momentary distraction had now turned into a huge irritation.

It culminated during kendo practice after school. Yutaro had decided to sit in on the meet, and Yahiko did not even try to suppress his irritation as he watched his sister easily wipe the floor with the other students. Needing to let off steam, he grabbed a shinai and stepped in front of one of the other students.

The high schooler looked as if he were being insulted. "Do you really want to spar with me, Yahiko-chan?"

"Don't call me chan!" he shouted, not moving an inch. "Fight me."

"Yahiko, you shouldn't--"

"Shut up busu!" Yutaro was near him; he could feel bitterness seeping into his person. He turned to the high schooler, "Fight me!"

The student grinned lazily. "Whatever you say, Yahiko-chan."

Raijuta-sensei was nowhere to be found, and Yahiko refused to listen to his sister. He needed to relieve his stress. It was like this sometimes; the ghosts would affect him so much that he would either faint, retch, or completely blow up.

The student swung his shinai lightly; Yahiko blocked and struck back, striking his hip. Other kendo students laughed, and the one Yahiko had challenged quickly turned from red to purple. The next strike was vicious, Yahiko quickly gave ground as the jeering and cheering and betting began. Yahiko was good - his father acknowledged that several times - but that didn't make up for honest experience. The shinai was quickly knocked out of his hand. The rusty eyed youth stared, emotions rolling through him so quickly that he couldn't keep track of them. He stared hotly at the kendo student, held captive by the rage that had unpredictably taken him over.

The high schooler was not done yet, however, his shinai was raised over his head for a much more serious strike. Yahiko stared, his eyes insolent, until Kaoru stepped between them. In one fluid motion, she raised her forearm up and blocked the strike. The snapping could be heard throughout the entire gym, and Yahiko's mind finally went completely blank.

"That's enough of that," she said softly, coolly. She easily knocked the shinai away, and Raijuta-sensei happily knocked the boy on the head.

"You're off the team!"

Kaoru turned to her brother, his face blank. Kneeling down, she put a hand on his shoulder. "Yahiko," she whispered softly, "snap out of it. Yutaro's gone, I sent him away."

Only then did Yahiko see the intense bruising forming on her wrist, already swollen. Her block had been barehanded; of course she had taken injury.

"Kaoru," he started weakly. Emotionally spent, he fell into her arms, his eyes damp.

* * *

It was completely dark as they walked home. Kaoru's wrist was set and treated; she thought nothing of what had happened. Yahiko was a completely different story. He kicked at snow drifts mindlessly. He was still numb from the afternoon's events, but that didn't stop him from feeling enormous guilt about what had happened. Kaoru tried to pull him close, but he shied away, not feeling worthy of her embrace. The ghosts seemed to sense the mood, and were not as noisy as they normally were. 

They reached the street that was the boundary, and an odd tingling sensation swept over the boy. He looked up as they crossed.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru said warmly, stepping up the pace slightly. Yahiko blinked and looked to where she was moving towards, only to see nothing. That did not mean he felt nothing, though. It was an odd presence of heated stones wrapped around his fingers and toes, mixed with the smell of incense.

It sparked suddenly, and Kaoru said, "Oh, no, it's nothing. I took an unexpected hit during kendo, that's all."

Shame filled Yahiko, even as he felt the stones roll around in his palms in concern.

"Of course Yahiko looks guilty, he always does when something like this happens."

The spark again. Concern or curiosity? Yahiko couldn't tell.

"Yahiko can't see spirits, but he can sense them. Sometimes it gets the better of him and something happens, that's all."

"'That's all?!'" Yahiko repeated. "You got hurt because of me and all you can say is 'that's all?!'"

Her good fist calmly found his crown and he pitched into the nearest snow bank. The incense dimmed and the heated stones rolled back to his fingers and toes. This was amusement.

"We do _not_ have a good relationship!" he cried out, frustrated.

Kaoru gasped and blinked. "Yahiko, did you just hear what Kenshin said?"

Frustration evaporated and replaced with confusion. "No," he said. "I don't hear ghosts, remember?"

"But you just replied to Kenshin's comment!"

The heated stones rolled in his fingers and hands again. Was Kenshin trying to say something to Yahiko? "No, I can't hear you. But I can feel you; you're like... heated stones and incense. It changes, sort of, with your mood."

The feeling changed again, and Yahiko looked to his sister for translation as they continued walking.

"Kenshin said it's the first time he's ever been compared to those things; he says he feels honored. Do you know what he's feeling now?"

"... Happy, I think. It's like..." the rusty eyed boy paused, trying to assimilate the sensations. "I can't put it in words. It's like he's been alone for a really long time, but now he's not, and it's good. Does that sound right?" The stone were at the crooks of his elbows now, and the incense was incredibly strong.

"He say's you're very, very perceptive for your age," Kaoru repeated, looking to where the ghost must have been.

"Is that why he's tensing up?"

Kaoru blinked, looking at her brother; then turning back to the rurouni. "Is that true, are you tense because Yahiko can sense your moods?" Kaoru paused as she listened to Kenshin's response, and Yahiko continued to feel the stones roll across his body. "He can't read your mind, Kenshin, he's no psychic. And this is the first time he's ever been able to, well, 'read' a ghost. You must be a very powerful spirit for him to be able to do this."

The heated stones were at his elbows again; tension.

"Kenshin, if you don't want to tell us something, that's perfectly fine. We've all done things we're not proud of," Kaoru turned to her brother and he looked down in shame, "and we've all done things that we don't ever want to talk about. I'm not asking you to talk about it; Yahiko isn't asking you to explain it. We won't pry."

There was another pause; this time Kaoru frowned. Yahiko knew that look very well, and was suddenly glad he wasn't at the receiving end of it.

"Mou, we just live here! We go to school, we do homework, and we do chores. We're not dangerous! You don't have to avoid us like we're some plague or something, and _you certainly_ don't have to avoid us claiming it will protect us! Protect us from what? There's nothing here except other ghosts who poke and prod us to do things for them. Where do you get off that sacrificing yourself is helping us? You said it yourself you like being around us, so don't go chopping off your nose with that sakabatou of yours for 'our benefit.' It's a load of bull and you know it! There's nothing you could have possibly done to make us afraid of you!"

Pause again, the moods were changing too fast for Yahiko to follow and besides, he was too busy watching his sister in all her glory.

"So what if you've killed people? That was ages ago and you're obviously repentant for it. You probably had no other choice right? The whole reason you're here is to protect the people in your sight. You said it yourself last night, there's no way you could be the demon you're trying to make yourself out to be so just shut up and stick around!"

"Hey, Yahiko-chan, who the hell is Jou-chan yelling to?"

Yahiko turned around, surprised that they had made it all the way back to their street. Sano was poking his head over the fence, looking at them in confusion.

The stones and the incense disappeared, gone with the tingling of their arrival.

"Uh..."

"Just an idiot," Kaoru replied heatedly. "Come on Yahiko, let's get inside. If Kenshin shows up again I'm _really_ going to give him a piece of my mind!"

Sano only had time to say, "Who?" before Kaoru stormed into the house and slammed the door.

* * *

Two days later, Kaoru was having a bad day. A _really_ bad day. First, her alarm didn't go off, and both she and Yahiko were late to school. The run in after the road was excruciating, and her teacher chastised her in front of the class when she finally run in, shouting apologizes for being late. She was a senior who was going to graduate in just less than two months, and she got chastised for being late. 

As the day went on, it felt like everyone was snubbing her. It wasn't that she didn't have some friends in the kendo club, she did; but for some reason, they weren't around today as the usual clicks tried to pick on the new girl. The teachers seemed in a foul mood as well and by the end of the day, Kaoru was snapping.

She and Yahiko argued the whole walk home. She was grateful that Yahiko headed home to start the laundry while she went to the market to pick up food. The silence while she was in the barrier improved her mood somewhat. Until she got to the local market. The market was half in the barrier, and half out. And as she looked at her grocery list, she realized most of what she needed, was outside the barrier.

The small improvement her bad mood had made quickly deteriorated and then plummeted further. The spirits of the market, just like the sales people of the market, were pushy. So she was facing pushy people and pushy ghosts. Oh, she was livid, snappish, and ready to tear off heads.

Then, just to make everything perfect, it started to rain as she went home. Freezing rain. And Kaoru didn't have her umbrella. About the only thing going for her was that her groceries were in plastic bags. She couldn't say the same for the rest of her. Just like when she first met Kenshin, she was cursing the school uniform skirt.

Just as she got home and handed the groceries to Yahiko, Sano appeared over the fence.

"Oi, Jou-chan. I need your help."

Why oh why couldn't Kaoru just crawl into her house, take a hot bath, and curl up in bed!!

"What!" she yelled.

Sanosuke, unperturbed, kept up. He launched into a tale of Megumi's haunting and even _that_ couldn't put a smile on Kaoru's face, though Yahiko did chuckle softly. "Well, I found a method that might work, but I can't afford it, so I need you, since I need a virgin to do the ceremony."

Kaoru couldn't decide whether to be complemented that he thought that she was that pure or insulted that he was implying she didn't have a boyfriend at the moment. Given her current mood, Kaoru got pissed. For the first time, the Kamiya leech neighbor, felt Kaoru's wrath.

Several bruises and bandages later, a relieved, but still seething Kaoru entered into Megumi's house.

"_That rooster said something stupid, didn't he?_"

"No more than usual. It's just my day."

"_So what'd he bring you over for today?_"

"A virgin sacrifice to cleanse the house."

"_Call him in here. Now. I'll deal with him._"

"Only if we have some serious girl talk after that lout is put in his place."

"_Deal._"

Taking a deep breath and trying to let anger out of her body, Kaoru stomped down the hall. "Sanosuke! Get your sorry ass down here! There's no way in hell I'm doing this without you're bird-brained beak down here!"

Sano obediently appeared through the door, swollen nose and all. Yahiko was waiting outside with an umbrella, a huge smile on his face. Sano warily treaded down the hall. Both entered the room and Kaoru gasped in shock. The sofa...was on the ceiling. All anger immediately drained from Kaoru, and her legs gave out from under her. Megumi was a powerful spirit to be able to do something like that in such a short amount of time.

"See what I mean?" Sano grumbled, evidently used to such a sight. "Can't you just get on with this ceremony thing?"

Then, in front of them, Kaoru watched as Megumi reached up, touched the sofa, and let it float down, righting itself to its proper place.

Words started emanating from Sanosuke's mouth that Kaoru hoped Yahiko would never hear. Kaoru couldn't help it. She burst out laughing. "Megumi! You're too much!"

"Megumi?"

"_Wait a minute, you're soaked. That rooster didn't even let you change clothes!_" Megumi immediately thrust her hands into Sanosuke's chest, making him double over shivering.

Kaoru's laughter just increased. "Megumi!" she cried, trying to regain her self, despite how much she desperately needed this laugh after her day. "You're scaring Sano!"

"Like hell I'm scared!"

"_You mean inconsiderate boar. He could have at least let you change before making you a virgin sacrifice._"

Still struggling to talk between guffaws, Kaoru replied, "I could have made him wait till I changed."

"Huh?"

Megumi huffed, pulled off Sano's thick, warm jacket, and flung it over her.

"_You need that more than him._"

Finally getting her laughter under control, she smiled. "Thanks Megumi," she shivered.

"Jou-chan, what the hell is going on?"

That question dropped Kaoru's humor in five seconds flat. Sano had found out. Damn, there went another friend. Heaving a deep sigh, she gave the rough bare-bones of her gift/curse, Sanosuke's face unreadable through the explanation.

"_If this rooster can't accept you for you, he's not worth being your friend,_" Megumi murmured. "_But I think he has more character than that._"

The silence was oppressive while Kaoru shivered in Sano's warm coat.

"So," Sano trailed off, looking at his now-on-the-ground couch. "This ghost has been trying to keep my house clean and didn't like what I did with the place?"

"More or less."

"And you can see and talk to ghosts?"

"Yes."

"And Yahiko senses them?"

"Yes."

"..." Sano shrugged. "Well that explains why I keep finding you talking to yourself."

Kaoru looked at him in shock. He was accepting them. No one outside her family had ever accepted her and her brother. Even some ghosts took offense to her being able to see what they did. Kenshin was nervous about how Yahiko could sense him. But Sanosuke was just accepting them. Was he really so easy-going?

"Achoo!"

"_Rooster._"

"Ah, Jou-chan, you're soaked through, aren't you?"

Kaoru bristled. "You noticed?"

"Kaoru?" Yahiko's voice floated down the hall. "Kenshin's here. He wants to talk to you."

Sighing, Kaoru stood, giving Sanosuke his jacket back. "If you two are settled here, I'm taking a nice hot bath."

Without really waiting for a reply, she briskly left, too emotionally drained to really deal with anything. "Yahiko, I hope you have a bath ready." She stepped out under the umbrella and looked to Kenshin and his freshly lacquered sword. "I know you want to talk to me, but would you mind waiting until after my dinner?"

Kenshin appeared to look slightly crestfallen, but merely nodded and vanished.

The young student sighed. She didn't mean to brush off the spirit, but she was just too tired. It has been far too long a day, she just needed a moment to breath.

"You okay?" her little brother asked.

"I'm in desperate need of a hot soaking bath."

"Coming right up."

Damp as she was, she hugged him in thanks.

One hot bath and one hot meal later, Kaoru was feeling infinitely better. Wrapped in a big, thick, hooded sweatshirt, Kaoru walked onto the back porch, Yahiko already snuggled up on the cushioned bench. Sitting beside him, she lovingly ran a hand through his hair as Kenshin appeared.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru greeted warmly. "I'm sorry about earlier, it's just been a long day."

"You have no need to apologize, you don't," the samurai replied. "It is this one that does."

"Eh?"

"This one clearly angered you the other day, and he wishes to apologize." Kaoru scowled, but said nothing as he continued. "When this one awoke, his only instinct was to protect. He is still wondering what to protect, but you and your brother were the first that this one saw and will be protected." The red head sighed. "This one is still forgetting something, though he his unsure what. He does not know if it is people that need protecting or something else, but this one thinks his uncertainty lead to such a foolish thought at the wall you appeared through that day."

So Kenshin saw that boarder as a "wall". Interesting. And he was taking blame for everything. Idiot.

"Look, Kenshin, I wasn't exactly nice that day either," Kaoru offered her own apology. "I don't exactly behave properly when in a temper, and while what I said was correct," no way in hell she wasn't, "I could have afforded to have been a little nicer."

"The fault lies with this one," Kenshin bowed. "He hopes that he has not lost your friendship, he certainly hopes not."

Kaoru only smiled.

"It takes a lot more than that to push me away."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Oh yeah. This is a Rurouni Kenshin, and people in this fandom actually leave reviews. Woah... As such, it would only be polite to reply and answer the questions people have been asking:

** JMai**: Well, we hope the "red streak" from chapter one has cleared up. That was a strand of Kenshin's hair. . We're glad you're enjoying this fic so much. We felt it was very important to show how having these "abilities" affect their lives. In fantasy stories, there's a tendency to have the characters gravitate to people who have similar talents so that the reactions can go away. While that may or may not happen in this story, it _is_ important to build up how this affects them. As far as what Kenshin could be, well, you'll just have to read and find out. . And yes, the ghost at Yahiko's school is Yutaro. We hope this chapter is as enjoyable for you.

**Iris**: We're glad you're enjoying this humble fic as well. Don't worry about Kaoru hurting her head, as you can see, she's feeling a bit better.

**Hitokiri Jinchuu**: Glad you liked Megumi's description of Sanosuke, even if it is a little slanted. Does Sano come across like that? Yes, but there's more behind him than that. Kenshin? A lost stray? Naaaaaa. .

**Reignashii**: Why do only Kenshin and Megumi stay in the barrier? Well, Megumi already stated her reason. As for Kenshin...we're not telling. Neither is he since he doesn't seem to remember a lot yet.

**Fantasy Addict**: Hehe, glad we're keeping you on your toes. Ah, we were wondering if someone would mention the whole Kenshin-refers-to-himself-in-third-person thing. There's actually a long story behind that. See, when we use Japanese in our stories, we try to provide a translation at the end of the paragraph in square brackets that are easy to visually skip over. We've always hated having to scroll up to the top or bottom of a document, read the translation, then scroll back down to find our place. A translation at the end of the paragraph seemed appropriate, especially for people who want to actually _learn_ Japanese. But, we tried that with another story of ours, Kasshin no Kokoro. All the reviews were about how we shouldn't have the translations at the end of the story, how it was disrupting their reading, etc. When we went to look, lo and behold, fanfiction(dot)net had removed our square brackets. We've tried other visual separations, but to no avail. will eventually remove them. So when it came time to approach this fic, we had to decide in advance how we were going to deal with the Japanese. Ultimately, we decided to ditch it, save a few sparce terms, and that meant translating Kenshin's _lovely_ little speech pattern. We hate it when people use "Sessha" to replace "I" whenever he speaks, because it doesn't flow well (for us) and it's not really a proper usage of the word. Because the Japanese don't use "I" as often as we English-speakers, we had to work around it. It's also annoying to constantly read "This unworthy one" all the time. While that may be a direct translation, to read it several times in one paragraph doesn't flow right either. So, after much discussion, we decided to use a "This unworthy one" about where we would approximate the Japanese equivalent would be, and revert to third person for the rest of the time he needs to refer to himself. After all "This unworthy one" is already removing oneself into the third person. It was the only way that really...made sense for us. All that left was "de gozaru", which became the dub translations of "that I am" etc. Since Kenshin doesn't use it in every sentance, we watched our usage on the "that I am"s as well. ... Woah that was a long-winded explanation. Probably more than you wanted to know. Sorry. .

**ramblingkitsuneonna, Nebulia, Stubbs, Hermoine, IchikoKitsuneKoumori, animebdoll**: We're glad you enjoy our story and our quick updates. The story is already done and we try to put up a chapter a week.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

It was exactly a week later when it all went downhill, when hell was unleashed.

Kenshin had taken to walking them home after school. He and Kaoru had some interesting conversation, ranging from swordsmanship to philosophy. Yahiko liked feeling Kenshin, the warm stones either tickled or relaxed him, and the smell of incense always made him smile. After walking them home he would join them again after supper, either watching practice or taking walks with them.

That day was bitterly cold. Six inches of snow had fallen over the weekend, and the weatherman had spent most of the morning talking about record wind gusts. It blew through Kaoru and Yahiko, making white fog-like snow clouds pass from one area to another. The pair actually loved it. They had both had extraordinarily good days, and instead of going straight into the house they both took turns throwing the powdery snow at one another. Kenshin, the heated stones on Yahiko's neck, was clearly enjoying the show.

They had somehow wandered from the back year into the small patch of woods. Yahiko had jogged ahead, enjoying watching his breathe appear and disappear, as well as listening to the distant laugher of Kaoru and the blast of wind far away.

A large gust whooshed through, chilling Yahiko's already numb body to the bone. Snow swirled around him and he couldn't see as it dipped into his eyes. A false step and a tumble later, the wind died down and Yahiko looked up to a small shrine.

Dusting snow out of his hair and shaking his head, the boy stood slowly. It was tiny; almost the size of a birdfeeder, locked into the crevice of a giant rock - almost a boulder. Curiosity swelled in Yahiko, random shrines like this were all over the city, and he always wondered why. At the same time, he knew all too well that it was in place for a reason.

"Hey, is there anything in there?" he asked, bending down to get a closer look. "You know, that's dangerous?"

An odd prickle started at the small of Yahiko's back and crawled up his spine.

"Hello?"

A flush involuntarily filled the boy's face, and feeling returned to his fingers and toes. Almost subconsciously, he reached up. What was behind the door of the shrine? There were no fudo, no seals, not even a ceremonial rope. His hand was inches from the gate of the shrine when,

"_Yahiko do not touch it!!_"

Startled, Yahiko jerked around to _see_ Kenshin, incense overwhelming him and the heated stones feeling like boulders. Gasping, Yahiko jerked up, but not before his fingers brushed against the shrine.

That was all that was needed.

The tiny gates flung open, and all snow in a ten foot radius instantaneously melted. Black smoke poured out of the shrine, engulfing Yahiko. Feelings like he had never felt before washed over him; it was like a hundred, no, a thousand spirits were whipping through him, the hatred and cruelty and laughter and _evil_ searing every inch of Yahiko. He screamed, and screamed, and screamed, his body felt like it was melting, his blood was boiling, there was a pounding in his ears that was not his heartbeat, and the horrible sensation of a saw ripping through his flesh.

He was in hell.

* * *

Kaoru and Kenshin had been walking and talking. The kendo instructor was, like her brother, completely numb. 

"It's not so lonely with you around," she was saying. "It's nice to have someone waiting for you at home."

"This one is also pleased to be in only one place, he is," Kenshin replied. "Before his death, this one wandered for many, many years, to repay for the crimes that he did in life."

Kaoru huffed. "I still think you go overboard with all that. I'm not sure what era you're from, but let's assume the worst and that you killed a bunch of people." The rurouni's eyed darkened but otherwise he did not react. "You're not the type to do it because you're blood thirsty, so whatever reason you had to do that was a good one. Even with that rationale, you're so obviously repentant and clearly did everything in your power to make up for it. You said it yourself, that night that Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu protects people; you even wield a sakabatou in order to do that. Why aren't you satisfied yet? Why are you still here?"

"There is one other thing, something that this one must protect. But... he has forgotten what it is. It is like, since this one came here, that a piece of him is still asleep, and try as he might, this one cannot wake up that piece. He fears that something bad will--" He immediately cut off, his small frame straightening.

"Kenshin?"

An incredibly strong wind blew by, kicking up loose snow everywhere and blowing under Kaoru's damn skirt. She paid it little mind, however, because when it finally died down, Kenshin was not the Kenshin Kaoru had come to know.

His eyes were no longer lavender, they were gold.

"_Yahiko do not touch it!!_"

There was a wave of heat, melting the snow Kaoru was standing in. She sank through the snow and into mud as she saw her little brother next to a tiny shrine embedded in a boulder. The gates flung open and black smoke billowed out of it. A horrible laughter emanated from it, low and evil. Under it was an even worse sound; it was the sound of her brother screaming.

"Yahiko!!"

She bolted toward the smoke, but Kenshin stood before her; his eyes were melted gold. For the first time, he placed a hand on her. The power of the touch caused her to stumble back.

"Not yet," he said sternly. "You cannot help him if you are hurt as well."

"That's not what protection means!" Kaoru shouted as she stood up. "Protection means sacrificing yourself to help!"

Kenshin again touched her shoulder, and she again reeled back, as if she'd been hit. "He would not appreciate your injury."

"Shut up!" She ran around Kenshin and entered the black smoke. It seared her, she could feel her hands burning, but she pushed through it. She found her brother convulsing in the mud, screaming over and over, running his hands over his body to stop the onslaught to his senses.

Kaoru tugged and pulled, her brother refusing to be touched, recoiling at everything. The smoke finally dissipated, and with it Kenshin arrived. He leaned in close, and Kaoru could feel energy radiating off him. He reached down, his fingers inches from Yahiko's fevered forehead, but stopped. The golden eyes closed, and when they opened they were again lavender, pained.

"I am sorry," he said. "I am so, so, sorry. I failed to protect you."

Kaoru finally pulled Yahiko close. She could see burns on the back of his neck, already pealing. His voice had long ago given out, but he still tried to scream.

Picking up her little brother, Kaoru turned to her ghostly companion. "What do we do?!" she shouted, completely helpless. In between her panic and terror she felt completely useless.

"The house," he said; his voice two octaves below what she was used to hearing. "Sanosuke will be able to get help and Megumi will be able to help."

And suddenly, it dawned on Kaoru, that Kenshin knew exactly what was going on.

* * *

It was a grueling fifteen minute hike. Yahiko quieted slowly, his body still twitching involuntarily. Kenshin was absolutely silent; his eyes flickered from purple to gold intermittently. 

When she saw the houses, she shouted to the top of her lungs.

"Sano! _Help_!!"

She tripped over something and pitched forward. The slope was enough to have her slide several feet before she stopped; thankfully Yahiko was still tightly in her grasp. She managed to get up and cried out again.

"Sano, _get out here now._" Kenshin's voice switched again, and the red bandana of their friend burst out of the house.

"Who the hell was--Jou-chan! Kozou! What--?"

"Help me!" she pleaded.

In three massive strides the fighter crossed the snow and picked up both of them before turning on a heel and going back into his house.

It was sparkling clean, and Megumi was on them in an instant.

"_What's going on?_"

"I don't know," Kaoru said breathlessly. She laid Yahiko out on the carpet and quickly pulled off his thick winter coat. Underneath his clothes were soaked in sweat, he was literally steaming.

"_Over half his body is burned!_" Megumi exclaimed, "_Ranging from third to second degree. Was there a fire?_"

"No," Kaoru said as she moved to get some cold water. She was stopped, caught on something. Turning, she found Yahiko unconsciously gripping her ankle. An unexpected combination of worry, tenderness, love, and other emotions washed through her, and she knelt back down.

"Sano, get come cold water."

"_And antiseptic and bandages, he has plenty of both._"

"Megumi, are you a doctor? Sano, antiseptic and bandages."

"_Yes. See if Sano can find an internal thermometer of some kind. We have to cool him off slowly._" With Sano acting as a runner, Megumi was able to give enough instructions to treat the worst of Yahiko's wounds and move him to a couch. Kaoru gently laid his head on her lap.

"An ambulance is on the way," Sanosuke said, finally sitting down.

"What? Sano, no!"

"What? You traipse into my yard, white as a sheet, Yahiko's burned all over, shouting away to Ken-whatever his name is, what do you expect me to do?"

"This has nothing to do with police and ambulances!" Kaoru shouted. Yahiko whimpered and tightened his grip on her. Responding, the blue eyed girl quieted down. "With an ambulance called, there will be an investigation. The police don't understand anything about ghosts. They'll just think he was playing with matches or something."

"Well, then, Jou-chan," Sano said, completely frustrated, "you tell me. What the HELL happened?"

Kaoru finally stilled. He was sitting, sword at his shoulder, in the far corner of the room. His eyes had finally settled to lavender, but they still looked vacant.

"Kenshin, why don't you tell us," she said. She wanted to be mad, her mind told her to be mad, but she couldn't bring herself to be anything more than numb.

He looked up, his eyes refocusing.

"This one, his piece has woken up. He remembers, he does." He paused, looking guiltily at Yahiko. "This one died in battle, he did. After ten years of wandering, Yamagata found him and asked this one to help; to save the country from this one's kouhai, his successor. There were many encounters, many close calls, but at last the kouhai, Shishio Makoto, was burned. Days later, this one followed Shishio to the land of the dead, except... except..." He looked up. "This is not the land of the dead.

"He is here for a reason, this one is. He is here to protect. This one thought it was Kaoru-dono and Yahiko-kun." Slowly, he stood, slipping his freshly lacquered sword back into his hakama. "It was not, it was the shrine. This one has made a horrible mistake, and now he needs to fix it, he does."

"No. No. No way in hell." Kaoru would have stood, but her little brother's head was on her lap. "You're not going to just go off on your own and take on all the responsibility by yourself. It doesn't work that way! Yahiko needs you! _I_ need you! You can't just--"

There was a loud bang on the door. Megumi, who had been quiet up until now said, "_It is an officer._"

Kaoru put her head in her free hand. "Not now..." But Sanosuke already stood up and walked to the hall; and Kenshin was gone.

Sano was tall, but this man was even taller. Dressed in blue and a cigarette in hand, he gave one puff before staring - glaring? - at the two kendo students before him. Megumi was already making a silver commentary of his dropping ash on her house, an almost nervous edge in her voice.

"Well, this is interesting. The rooster head here obviously didn't give enough detail."

"What?!" Sano overtly bristled. The officer completely ignored him.

"Saito Hajime," he said by way of introduction. He knelt down. His eyes were somewhere between honey and wheat. Kaoru felt nothing but caution as he slowly raked his eyes over them. She herself had bandages around her hands, burned from entering the black smoke, her uniform was dry in some places, damp in others, and completely ruffled. On her lap was Yahiko, not conscious but not unconscious either, his rusty eyes completely blank. His uniform was singed, bandages over his neck, upper chest, and hands and wrists. Sweat was everywhere, and every so often something twitched.

Saito coolly grabbed Yahiko's wrist, pulling it toward him and examining it. "No sent of smoke, no starter burns, and no accelerant. Burns on the body but not the fabric. Mud, but not snow." He turned to Kaoru, and she felt oddly naked under his intense gaze. "Burns on the hands, but nowhere else. How did the fire start? Where was it?"

"... There is a shrine in the woods behind the houses," Kaoru finally answered. Trust did not emanate from this man the way it did Kenshin, but at another level, Kaoru sensed doggedness about the officer, the pursuit of something until its end that somehow gave her the tiniest ounce of comfort. "Yahiko opened it and black smoke poured from it."

"Where in the woods?"

"You can follow our tracks, we came straight here."

Saito stood and confidently strode outside, only to turn around and march right back in.

"Who else was with you?" he demanded, dragging his cigarette.

"No one, just Yahiko and myself," she said, confused.

"Don't lie to me. You obviously carried the boy, but there's a second set of tracks, a small man in sandals."

...Kenshin?

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Ah, things finally go to hell in a hand-basket. The villain has arrived! (Not like you couldn't figure out who he is, it's so obvious). And Kenshin drives home that fact that he's more than just another ghost. :) This was one of our favorite chapters to write. And now the reviewers:

**Marie Kenobi**: My gawd, you read something other than RW fanfiction?? Sweetness! Happy day! Hope you liked.

**Fantasyaddict**: Glad you're enjoying the fic. Most (ie most) of Kenshin's backstory is next chapter, at least what he's figured out.

**Nebulia**: The fic is about ten chapters or so. This marks the halfway point and starts the "dark" part of the fic. Well, dark for us at anyrate.

**JMai**: We're having a good New Year so far, hope you are too. We love Kaoru, she's such a great, if horribly misinterpreted, character. I think our favorite thing about RK is the "family unit" of Kenshin-Kaoru-Yahiko. Watching the three of them together is always a treat, and we try to include it in our fics whenever we can, like running fingers thorugh hair (a sacred tradition in our house) or private talks or even the fights.. This chapter is probably a good testiment to that. Yahiko got in trouble and now Kenshina nd Kaoru, the parents, have to bail him out. Sort of. (grin)

**TrisakAminawn**: woah, that's a lot of reviews:) Thanks for the occasional grammar error checks. We'd like to think we're better than most, but I guess even we can't catch everything. Ah, well. When this fic is all up we'll go through and fix'em. Yes, why they sold their beloved dojo and moved after their father's death will become clearer later. Can't give away everything at once. We're so glad you like the interaction between Yahiko and Kaoru; they have such a great brother-sister relationship. The fighting is only the surface, they're probably the two closest characters in the series, and their faith and belief in one another is inspiring, to say that least. They know each other so well that they know when to zoom in and pull back according to their repsective moods. We love that Kaoru is always letting Yahiko think he's being a man, and Yahiko always just sort of appearing when Kaoru needs someone. And Sano is really fun to write about; and your right, as awesome as the family unit it, reality starts to leave if it's just about them. As far as Kenshin giving his life in a paragraph, he hasn't by any stretch. Read the next chapter. :) Besides, Kaoru was sharing her grief, her mix of pain and happiness. Kenshin wanted to share in it with her, and, instinctively not wanting to touch her (another mystery to be solved) shares in the only way he can. And in chapter four, Kaoru only made Kenshin wait because she'd been having a _really_ long day and wanted some _uninterupted_ personal time. Nothing more, nothing less. And finally, yes, there is two of us. We are Mirror and Image. We're sort of well known in the RW/YST community (hears Ghost of Dawn snerk) and we've just sort of assumed that people knew there were two of us. We're identical mirror twins, which means we're mirror images of each other (gee, where did our names come from...), meaning one of us is right handed while the other one is left handed. One's strong eye is the others weak eye; one is kind of assertive while the other is kind of passive, etc.

And finally, thanks to **Hermoine, Keniichi, Iris, and Reignashii** for you kind reviews.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6**

The next few hours were grueling for the Kamiya siblings. An ambulance arrived shortly after Saitou's little bombshell, rushing both to the hospital. The EMTs had difficulty treating Yahiko without Kaoru in some sort of physical contact. Whenever she let go, the boy would scream and start convulsing, like Kaoru was the only life line that he recognized and clung to. By the time they reached the hospital, the burns seemed to have faded to something less severe, but there were still concerns given how bad they were when the ambulance arrived. Kaoru was relieved that the doctors didn't question them too much.

Saitou arrived later to find Kaoru hugging Yahiko close. They had originally been given separate rooms, but Yahiko didn't calm until Kaoru was nearby, so she snuck into his room, lay by him on the bed, and whispered soothing words to him while her bandaged fingers played with his hair. Saitou didn't interview them about the "accident". He interrogated them. Kaoru answered as best she could and Yahiko was just rude when he was awake enough to answer. It was only the arrival of a nurse that finally got him to leave the two siblings alone.

They were released the following morning and both Kamiya took the following two days off from school. Yahiko, despite bravado, wouldn't stray far from his older sister. He was extremely irritable and Kaoru was just exhausted. Sanosuke visited frequently, making sure they were okay and commenting on how, in the middle of winter, the temperature had raised to a warm spring or cool summer day. The snow was gone.

Kenshin also visited, though he stayed outside, looking in with guilt and shame. Oddly enough, it was Yahiko's snappish insults that tended to make him smile and not look so forlorn.

The following day was difficult to say the least. The lovely little barrier that had made the first half of the walk pleasant was gone, meaning that once they were out of the house and down the street, ghosts started appearing from the woodwork, demanding their time. Kaoru didn't even try to placate them; she just ignored them, held onto Yahiko's hand, and let him through the maelstrom. Yahiko's temper got shorter and shorter as they went to school, and frankly, Kaoru's wasn't doing much better. They were both the talk of the school on the "incident" with questions and comments directed both to them and in whispers when they walked by. Yahiko got into trouble with his teachers about his behavior and Kaoru was overly harsh during kendo practice. Then came the grueling trek home.

Once home, both breathed a sigh of relief, changed, and curled up on the back engawa, temporarily forgetting their bickering ways and just staying in each other's embrace.

Yahiko suddenly shivered and looked up. Kaoru quickly glanced up, seeing a girl even smaller than herself in ninja apparel standing before them, with rain blue eyes and ebony braid blowing in an unseen wind.

"_Hi. _"

"Um, hi."

"_We're going to need to question you as soon as your partner in crime arrives. _"

"What?"

"_Ah! Here they are!" _

From thin air, Kenshin appeared, his long mane of red hair grasped tightly in the hand of a tall man, also in ninja clothing, with eyes of sunlit ice.

"EH?"

Yahiko shivered in her arms again. "Wind and ice," he mumbled.

"Yahiko, why don't you go inside and prepare some tea. I think we need some."

"_Nice! _" The rain-eyed girl floated over to Yahiko's vacated seat and hovered by Kaoru. "_I'm Makimachi Misao. Nice to meet you. _"

"Um, a pleasure."

"_This is Shinomori Aoshi-sama. _"

Kaoru nodded vaguely. "Um, Shinomori-san? Could you release Kenshin now? He doesn't seem to like you're hold of his hair."

Without a word, the rurouni was released, and he quickly reappeared in front of Kaoru. "This one does not appreciate threats towards the two who live in this house, he does not!"

"What?"

"_Oh come on! _" Misao whined, reappearing by the tall Aoshi. "_You weren't coming along with anything else we said; did you really leave us any choice? _"

"_With no choice, we did what we had to, _" the tall ninja added. "_We will do what we must to maintain. _"

"Maintain what?" Kaoru asked, nerves fraying after a long three days.

"_Peace. _" The girl's face dropped from smiling to serious. "_We are Oniwabanshuu. We are the police of the dead. We make sure that spirits, demons, and malevolents don't cross the line. _"

"The police of the dead," Kenshin translated. "What need do you have from this one and Kaoru-dono?"

"_Shishio Makoto. _"

"This one defeated him when he died. He is in the hell."

"_Sorry, Himura, that's not quite the case, _" Misao replied. How did she even know his name? "_But you already knew that. You're just trying to protect the live. _"

"Kenshin," Kaoru murmured. "What is she talking about?"

The transparent rurouni turned to her, eyes like lavender flying in the wind. "Shishio was the smoke, he was. He has become much more powerful in death than he was in life."

"_A mid-ranking demon, to be precise, _" Aoshi stated. "And upon your death you were assigned to guard him. What happened? "

"Guard him? What do you mean?"

Kenshin sighed. Removing his freshly lacquered sword from his belt, he sat down, resting the hilt on his shoulder. "This one's memories from after his death are...muddled."

"_To be expected. _"

"This one remembers someone explaining that Shishio's hatred and thirst for vengeance had somehow given him power after death. This one agreed to seal Shishio, he did, and there are vague memories of a shrine being constructed. After many years, this one rested," he paused, twisting to look up to Kaoru, "until two racing in the woods awakened him. This one's memories are still faded in regards to Shishio, but he does not understand how his old enemy became so powerful."

Misao huffed. "_Oh yes you do! He's essentially been baking in the shrine since Meiji! Nothing to do but plot, plan, and feed his anger! Of course he's more powerful, he's like a beef stock left on the fire! How did this happen? _" The female ninja's partner placed a hand on her shoulder.

"This one awakened and was in a sleep-like fog, slowly awakening. It was some time before this one could show himself to Kaoru-dono, it was."

"And?"

The rurouni didn't answer.

"_You and you're brother have touched Shishio. You two are marked, as well as any other live that touches Shishio. That demon now has some level of power over you. _" Aoshi's explanation was clinical and succinct. It gave Kaoru little comfort.

"_That's why we need to know as much as possible, _" Misao added. "_If we are to catch him, and hopefully destroy him, we need as much information as possible. Himura can tell us about Bandage-Face, but_ you_ need to tell us how he awoke. Probably your brother as well, but he's still too raw to be with a spirit nearby for extended periods of time. _"

Kaoru did the smart thing and ignored all the talk of dangers to focus on that little tidbit about her brother. "Will he be okay? What happened to him exactly?"

"Shishio touched him," Kenshin replied simply.

"_Yahiko is in the most danger of Shishio, because he had prolonged contact, _" the smaller ninja answered, sadness in her rain-blue eyes. "_Any spirits your brother feels will cause him great discomfort, or at least more than normal. _"

"_However, Shishio will still be in a sleep-fog, as Himura was. Your brother is safe for the time being. _" Aoshi's words were hardly that of comfort.

Kaoru bristled. "You seem to know an awful lot about me and my brother!"

"_You can see and sense us. All who have that gift are monitored. Your sensitivity makes you easier prey for malevolents, _" Misao explained. "_Whenever you interact with the dead, we are immediately notified and we start watching. To ensure your safety. _"

Anger filled Kaoru briefly before the thought of what this Shishio did to Yahiko reasserted itself, reminding her that if they were susceptible to such things, it was better to have someone looking out for you. Even if she really would rather have known.

"_So! _" Misao exclaimed, appearing by the kendo practitioner's shoulder. "_You and I are going to visit Megumi and talk while Himura and Aoshi-sama talk. That okay with you? _"

"It is not," Kenshin asserted.

"Fine by me," Kaoru replied. The ruruouni turned, his lacquered sword glinting in the setting sun.

"Kaoru-dono, this one does not wish for you to be alone with them, he does not."

Kaoru merely offered her smile. "The sooner this is over with, the better."

"_Yay! Thank you very much! Trust me, you're in good hands, and so is Himura. He and Aoshi-sama will get along swell! _"

Kaoru nodded and headed inside, Misao bounding impishly close to her. First stop, the kitchen. "Yahiko?" Kaoru whispered.

Sure enough, the boy was sitting over a cool cup of tea and staring at it, and he flinched when she came in. Misao backed away.

"The wind is in here."

"That's Misao-san," Kaoru replied. She quickly told him the basics of what she had learned and where she was going. "Stay inside. Kenshin and Aoshi-san will stay outside." She turned to the braided ninja. "Right?"

"_You betcha! _"

Her little brother looked up. "You're in danger because of me, aren't you."

"No, Yahiko. We're safe with Kenshin and the Oniwabanshuu. They protect people like us."

Yahiko said nothing, and stared down at his tea again. Feeling suddenly needy, Kaoru rushed forward and swept Yahiko up into a fierce hug. He didn't even protest.

* * *

Later, once at Megumi's house, the three women sat down. Sano was gone, probably at some sort of fight, but Kaoru didn't know for sure. Megumi was sly and cautious, but as Misao explained, the homeowner kept her biting commentary lighter. The interrogation began, if it could even be called an interrogation. Misao was very gentle in her questioning, careful to get every detail she could from Kaoru, but not by pressing or demanding. Kaoru's respect for the ninja-like girl grew incredibly from the gentleness she used. Kenshin may be worried, but Kaoru felt utterly safe. 

Once the interview was done, Kaoru even ventured to ask some questions, and soon, the three were involving themselves in some (for Kaoru at least) much needed girl talk. Misao explained that she and Aoshi had joined the Oniwabanshu together at around the beginning of the Sengoku Jidai. As such, they've had time to learn their spiritual abilities and were granted a few extras to help keep the peace. Megumi shared how she had been in medical school and perished in a bad fall down the stairs in a freak occurrence. They shared anecdotes about their lives and just grew closer. Kaoru couldn't express how grateful she was to actually be able to _talk_ to someone other than her brother about this stuff. Yahiko was still a child in many aspects and she sometimes just couldn't speak to him about some of what she actually _saw_. She had now doubt that he felt it, but he didn't _see_ it.

Kenshin and Aoshi had a much more succinct and precise interview. Kenshin willingly gave all the information he knew and had, minus a few personal details, and Aoshi would only nod. Once information was gathered, Aoshi offered thoughts and suggestions on how the two might work together to bring down Shishio. Aoshi would need someone who'd fought the man before, and Kenshin would need Aoshi's network of information.

As promised, Misao and Aoshi returned the following day to interview Yahiko. Both spirits kept a respectable distance from the boy, in an effort to not make him uncomfortable. It took a long time with Kaoru continuously repeating the questions that they had. As the interview wore on, Yahiko started to understand what was being asked without the translation, though he always had Kaoru clarify what was inquired. Kenshin watched from the yard. There were several points in Yahiko's narrative where he had great difficulty with describing the details, and Kaoru would without question, hold him tight. He never initiated the contact, but Kaoru felt needy enough after the burning ordeal that she did it more for herself that her brother. Not that he would mind.

Information was finally gathered. It was time to plan how to take down Shishio.

* * *

**Author's Notes**: Does this answer the questions about the Oniwabanshuu? smile As far as Kenshin becoming substantial, well, read and find out. We're not telling. Saitou will be having a lot to do, but not right away, and no, we won't see his wife. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Part 7**

The great room was still sparse. They had a kotetsu, a TV on a stand, and a tiny shelf to hold books. In a distant corner was the shrine. Kaoru had decided against the funeral photo, instead optioning for a photo with the entire family. Their mother had died three years after Yahiko's birth; cancer. Their father ran a prominent dojo, and was planning to reopen it in the city. It was only after the house had been purchased did he pass away.

Kaoru was on the floor, leaning against the wall as she stared at the photo. The memorial tablet was next to it; on the other side was a single lily, his favorite. The picture was at the dojo, after Yahiko's first lesson. He was wrapped around his father's shoulders, still in his hakama and gi; Kaoru was next to them, clutching her father's arm and smiling for all the world. It was arguably the family's favorite picture.

"Father, I miss you," she said softly. Yahiko thumped upstairs, trying to focus on homework. Kaoru just couldn't. The events of the last several days replayed over in her mind, over and over. Kenshin in the rain and in the moonlight. Saito's cold eyes raking over them. Yahiko challenging a high school student in a rage. But mostly, the black smoke engulfing her brother, his screams, his writhing in the mud.

"A lot have things have happened, since we came here." She paused as it all rolled through her mind again. "Father, I need you. I can't do this on my own.

"Help me."

"That's my job."

Whirling around, Kaoru saw Saito, the police officer.

"I have more questions."

Feeling violated at his intrusion of such a private moment, Kaoru stood quickly. "I've told you everything I know. I have schoolwork to do, so if you'll excuse me."

"No," Saito said. He followed Kaoru to the kitchen. "You haven't told me everything. I've been doing some checking. You and your brother are notably odd people."

"Thank you so much for the compliment," she replied dryly.

"The boy is perfectly healthy, but at seemingly random points in elementary school he'd faint, become sick, even throw up. Or he would have moody spurts, unnatural anger, even fights in school. Do you know what caused these fits?"

Kaoru did not answer, instead busying herself by looking through cabinets, looking for nothing.

"And then there's you," the cigarette came out, followed by the telltale click of a lighter, and the acrid smell of smoke. "Without fail, without pause, when your brother is having these fits, you are coincidently talking to no one. You have conversations, lengthy and heated, always under your breath, always begging whoever you're talking to, to go away.

"Just last week, you and your brother were seen arguing heatedly coming in to school, when it's blatantly clear that the two of you're a close. The boy is agitated and snappish. At kendo, he challenges a high school student and is almost completely unrecognizable; some students claim his eyes changed from rust to red; he is completely out of control. Instead of saving him, you are seen talking furiously to a spot of open space, saving him only at the last possible minute.

"My question," Saito finished, "is what is it that you see? What is it that your brother can feel?"

Kaoru stood perfectly still, arm raised to the upper shelf of a cabinet. She lowered it slowly, turning.

"No history of mental illness, perfect psychiatric evaluations, no reason to believe that these are delusions. So what do you see?"

The gold eyes were dark but not menacing. She did not like him, _at all_, but a tiny corner of her mind told her it was okay to tell him, he exuded competence with every ounce of his countenance.

"Ghosts," she said finally.

His face did not change. No quirks of the lips, no twitch of the eye, not even a blink. He, too, stood absolutely still, absorbing, assimilating, calculating, and finally concluding.

"Were any with you when the shrine opened?"

"Yes. One."

"Was the black smoke a ghost?"

"I think so. I'm told he was a ghost sealed there, and has since become a demon."

"Who told you this?"

Kaoru paused again. She had only just learned of the Oniwabanshuu, was still absorbing the fact that something like that, that organized, even existed in the afterworld. That Saito was taking this in stride at all was miraculous, she wasn't about to push her luck.

"A ghost more informed than others," was the best she could say.

Saito didn't chew on that one very well. His eyes narrowed to gold slits, and he stared at her. "How many ghosts are involved in this?"

"The one that was released, the one that was with us, and two that... are looking into it."

"The one that was released, that you say was turned into a demon," he didn't say "claimed," and for that Kaoru's impression of him raised half an inch. Whatever his thoughts were, he was taking it all at face value for now, "Do you know if it had a name, when it died?"

"Shishio Makoto," Kaoru said slowly. "I don't know when he died, but he supposedly burned to death in a fight with Himura Kenshin. That's all I know."

There was an awkwardly long period of silence. Saito was clearly processing the information. Kaoru didn't know what he thought. That he wasn't writing her off as crazy was refreshing, even nice; but his lack of affirmation that he outright believed her left her tense, unsure.

Finally, "I'll look into it."

Saito turned on his heal and left.

* * *

Two days later it was Monday. Kaoru did her last button on her burgundy jacket, straightened her thin bowtie, and brushed a few stray hairs back into place. She slipped on a light windbreaker as opposed to a thick winter jacket. The temperature was now in the forties since the release. Yahiko was waiting silently on the gekkan, and didn't say a word as they began their walk to school. 

At the end of the street, Kaoru was surprised to see Kenshin standing on the corner.

"This one will walk with you for a ways," he said simply, and picked up their stride. Yahiko's shoulders dropped, the only sign on his lessened tension.

Kaoru scratched at the fading burns on her hands. "You mean you're not going to sacrifice everything for our supposed well being?" she asked dryly. "I'm shocked."

"He deserved that, this one did," was the reply. Then, "This one did not realize that _he_ was the reason for your quiet walk. That it has since disappeared has bothered this one greatly; he causes nothing but trouble, he does."

"He's upset about something," Yahiko murmured. He scratched his neck as Kaoru again raked her nails across her hands.

"I know," Kaoru replied. "He thinks anything bad that happens to us is his fault." She threw a sidelong glance at the rurouni. "Kenshin has no concept of how helpful he is."

"Surprise," Yahiko said.

Kaoru grinned satisfactorily. "Good."

"This one does not understand," Kenshin said slowly, "but he is glad for Kaoru-dono's words."

They continued to walk, schoolmates passing by here and there. Some waved and said hello, others gave the obligatory funny looks and ignored them. The ghosts pleasantly kept their distance, and Kaoru noted with pleasure that her little brother seemed to relax more and more. The kendo practitioner finally thought they would have a pleasant walk when,

"_Alright, it's time you explained yourself! _"

Brother and sister both stopped. Yahiko groaned as he again scratched his neck, muttering about bossy ghosts. Kaoru stared at what she could only describe as a pirate standing before her; hair hidden in cloth, mismatched armor, and a tetsubo balanced menacingly on her shoulder.

"What?" she asked.

"_You heard me, _" the ghost said, leveling her weapon at Kaoru. "_Your bloody samurai over there is the one that erected that stupid barrier, right? Now he's trying to keep us all away from you. What makes you so damn special, huh? You think if you ignore us we'll just go away? Think you can shirk your duties if you hire a guardian like him to keep us at bay? You're one high and mighty prissy little princess if you think it's going to keep me away! _"

Yahiko groaned again, sagging under the weight of the spirit. Kaoru put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, quietly sending him strength as Kenshin stepped forward.

"This one has decided, on his own, to protect these two, he has. If you have a problem, please talk to this one."

"_No, _" the pirate said heatedly. "_You're just as bad as she is. Where do you get off thinking you can boss us lower spirits around, huh? You're pretty high and mighty, too, aren't you; well too bad. I'm not going to let a power wave from you blow me over, you... _"

She was cut off as Kenshin stepped forward. Kaoru felt keenly the power he was emanating, for a brief moment she thought she saw blue aura radiating off him, and the itch in her hands left her.

"I want you to leave. Now." Kenshin's voice had again dropped an octave, was again speaking differently.

"_Why you little--!_"

The testubo flew, but Kenshin was even faster than the club of the pirate. The sword almost wasn't seen, and the ghost pirate blew back. Kaoru felt her hair involuntarily blow back from the power Kenshin emitted, Yahiko similarly leaned into her, pressing his face against her waist and holding the back of his neck. "Heavy," he muttered.

The pirate was gone, and Kenshin slowly turned around, his gentle smile firmly in place. "This one hopes he did not hurt you too badly," he said softly, his yellow eyes eyeing Kaoru's brother in concern.

"Don't worry about it," the boy muttered.

"Kaoru-chan!" a classmate came running up. "What was that wind just now? Did you feel it?"

"Uh, yeah," she replied dumbly, trying to assimilate what just happened. She had not felt that kind of power since Kenshin had touched her. Just what kind of abilities did he have? The pirate had called him a guardian, so had the Oniwabanshu. Kaoru dimly wondered what she had gotten herself into.

The three of them walked silently after that, each lost in their own thoughts.

It was when they were fifty feet from the schools when it happened. The burns on Kaoru's hand became very hot and itchy, pain flaring up her arms. Yahiko yelped, clutching his neck and falling against the gate wall.

"Kaoru-dono! Yahiko-kun!"

Pushing past her pain, Kaoru tugged at her brother, peeling away his hands; his neck had again burned, searing hot to the touch. His entire body was sweating, and he vomited up his breakfast. Feeling helpless again, Kaoru pulled her brother close, muttering soothing words and oblivious to the crowd that was gathering.

A low, guttural cry passed Yahiko's lips. He was white as a sheet under his flush. "He just..." he coughed. "He just killed somebody..."

The pain in Kaoru's hands faded as quickly as it had come, leaving only the thick smell of blood. Yahiko was shaking, almost violently; until he finally fell limp in her arms. Someone walked up from the spectator crowd and asked if he could help. Kaoru merely tuned him out, miraculously shouldering her brother's weight after checking his pulse.

Kenshin's eyes were gold as he followed them to the infirmary.

* * *

**Author's Notes**: Yep, Shishio's a bastard. And Saitou is bloody hard to write. But Shura was a nice break from all t he doom and gloom. We hope everyone is still enjoying this little story of ours.

As usual, **thank you** to our reviewers.


	8. Chapter 8

**Part 8**

Kaoru sighed, finding herself once again by her brother's bedside running bandaged fingers through his hair. When she had lifted Yahiko to head for the nurse's office, his skin was smoking. But when they arrived, his burns were merely raw, as if just coming from a hot shower. Her burns faired about the same, though she didn't appear to be as discomforted as he was. Yahiko himself varied from wakefulness and oblivion. When he first awoke, the nurse still buzzing around Kaoru and wrapping her hands, he gazed at her with tired rusty eyes, whispering, "Nee-chan."

Kaoru was by his side instantaneously, bandaged hands or not, cooing and offering words of nonsensical comfort. She couldn't _do_ anything else and it irritated her to no end. When they were younger, before their family had started to disappear, she'd had many a day pulled from class because Yahiko had gotten into a fight or mouthed off, or became sick due to a local ghost. After all, their old school system had been built back in the Taisho Era and was _teeming_ with ghosts. One of the big pulls for their father when deciding to move here had been that the school was relatively modern and probably wouldn't have the spiritual problems that they'd had previously. That and that the middle and high school were next door would be invaluable if Kaoru did need to help Yahiko out.

But even then, sitting in the nurse's office with her sibling, Kaoru was always able to have another spirit bring the ghost in question to the small curtained area and firmly discuss matters, so that Yahiko would no longer be bothered.

This, however, wasn't the same. She couldn't summon Shishio Makoto and brow-beat him into submission, or bargain better behavior, or even tell him to get lost. Yahiko was marked. She was marked. If the ghost-turned-demon killed someone and this was the result, things would only get worse. Already, her burns were getting itchy, though she dared not touch them.

Kaoru ran a bandaged hand through Yahiko's hair again, softly humming some tune she remembered her mother singing once. That was another thing Kaoru yearned for. She wanted her mother back. _She_ would know what to do about the demon, how to help Yahiko, remove the marks, whatever was necessary. Instead, time had robbed the Kamiya children of a precious flower that spread its gentleness and wisdom with every breath of her sweet scent. Their father had done his best, but without the gift, Kaoru and Yahiko had to figure things out themselves.

Still, their father had been supportive in other ways. He was very kind with them and well versed in making excuses when supernatural things started to occur around the two children. He was a godsend in that manner. If Kaoru was pressed into going to help a spirit, he would take care of Yahiko and have a hot bath ready when she returned and a good story to tell, along with new insights in how to help Yahiko cope and deal with his own gift.

That was what she and her brother needed. But instead, they were alone and had to make do with nothing. And Kaoru couldn't _do_ anything. She was so useless. So she cooed and hugged her brother closely, as if her mere presence could keep the problems of the world at bay.

"He's worried about you," Yahiko whispered, his eyes fluttering briefly before sighing and going back to sleep, curling into Kaoru's side.

The young kendo practitioner looked up and noticed the threadbare clothes and the freshly lacquered sword.

"I'm sorry, Kenshin," she whispered, not wishing to draw the attention of the nurse. "I just fell into 'nee-chan' mode and shut you out. I'm okay, really, I am."

The look of sorrow and shame flashed across his transparent face, his eyes warring between lilac storms and twinkling gold. "This one can not express his regrets that this has occurred, he cannot."

"It's not your fault," she murmured, once more stroking Yahiko's soft hair, rubbing a thumb across his cheek. "One of us was bound to open the shrine eventually, with or without you there."

The rurouni reached forward, a hand hovering over the child's head.

"Nerves," Yahiko murmured, waking again. "He's nervous." The hand pulled away. "Heavy regret."

Kaoru sighed. She didn't really feel like dealing with his hyperactive guilt gland at the moment. At all. So she ignored him.

"It's okay, Yahiko. You're okay."

"Some day," he replied. "Some day I won't have to rely on you. Some day I'll be able to do this myself."

Kaoru allowed herself a small smile. "I think this is above and beyond what we normally would deal with."

That earned a low, almost bitter chuckle. Yahiko turned his face to her, his eyes going from glazed to sharply in focus. "You're marked," he stated flatly.

"We both are," she replied, not understanding what he meant.

"No," Yahiko growled. "You have _two_ marks." His eyes started to fade again, though he struggled valiantly to stay awake. "One's the same feeling as mine, an inferno." His eyelids drooped; sleep calling him back when he clearly didn't want to go. "The other's...softer...heated stones..." Oblivion finally reclaimed her brother, as he relaxed into her side once more.

Kaoru turned her own sharply focused eyes to the transparent rurouni by the other side of Yahiko's head, a hand once more hovering over the child's head.

"Heated stones is _you_," she whispered harshly. "When the hell did you mark me? Why? What do you want to do to me?" The image she'd had of the gentle rurouni shattered. Marking was what Shishio had done. And it burned, itched, and poisoned her brother and herself. Their gentle rurouni wouldn't do something like that. But he had.

His eyes slipped to gold and she could suddenly feel the power around him again. His transparence faded, becoming slightly more opaque, and Yahiko whimpered in his sleep.

"How are your hands now?" he asked.

Kaoru glared. What did that have to do with anything?

"Do they still tingle with Shishio's power?" he asked again.

She just held her brother closer, glaring until she realized what he was getting at.

"They don't itch," she murmured. "They're...fine..."

Gold faded to lilac, lacquered sword became translucent once more, and Yahiko relaxed. "This one did not intend to mark you, he didn't. It was an instinct." A hand went through his red locks, abashedly. "When you tried to reach your brother, this one had to keep you away," he said with a rueful smile, a hand once more hovering over Yahiko's head. "When you recoiled from this one's touch, it was then he somehow marked you."

"Then you have to mark Yahiko!" she pleaded, keeping quiet only from years of having hushed conversations with spirits. "Please! Help him the same way you've helped me with this marking thing. He needs it more than I do! Shishio barely touched me, but he _engulfed_ Yahiko."

"Kaoru-dono..."

"If you have to remove my mark to do it, then fine! If Yahiko's flung back from your power like I was, then I'll catch him! But _please_! Help him!"

"This one cannot."

Kaoru froze; her eyes stinging with tears.

"This one was able to mark you before Shishio, he was. To mark Yahiko after such a strong mark from Shishio would only make things worse, it will." The hovering hand retreated. "It would take great power from this one to provide the same aide that a brief show could do for you, and doing so may do irreparable harm to your brother, it might. A smaller mark would only make the pain when Shishio does things worse." A frustrated sigh escaped Kenshin's lips. "This one must wait, he must."

He was just as helpless as she was. Kaoru couldn't help it. The loss of her parents, Shishio's release, the burns, the interrogations, the gossip, the stares, the _everything_. Now there was nothing that could help her or her brother. Not until Shishio was defeated. And she still couldn't _do_ anything, and neither could Kenshin, their "guardian". It was all just too much. Kaoru cried. She held Yahiko close and cried. Kenshin could only watch.

* * *

The nurse came in a short time later, when Yahiko was awake again and Kaoru had composed herself. Her little brother showed no signs that he knew of her break down, but if he knew, she was grateful he kept it to himself. 

"Hey guys! How're ya doin'?" Yahiko and Kaoru blinked tired eyes and turned to the nurse. That was definitely not her normal speech pattern.

"This is going to have to be quick, but I have some questions on what happened to you."

"Misao-dono," Kenshin greeted.

"_Misao_!?" Yahiko and Kaoru exclaimed.

"Yup," the nurse smiled brightly, her normally brown eyes suddenly flashing the rainy blue eyes of Misao. "My specialty is possession." The nurse's face grew somber. "I know you two are hurting, but I need to know what happened an hour ago."

"Has it only been an hour?" Kaoru was surprised. "It's felt like _days_."

One by one, they related the events of the walk to school, from the bossy pirate ghost to Yahiko's revelation that Shishio had killed someone. The interview went much faster than last time, given that Misao could ask her questions of Yahiko directly, and she already seemed to know the basics of what happened.

Misao sighed through the nurse's body. "I can't stay much longer. I think Aoshi-sama and I are on to something, but we need a little help. Himura, Aoshi-sama will contact you after these two get home. Would you mind joining us on a little fact finding?"

Kenshin looked to the Kamiya siblings, his translucent face clearly stating he'd rather be with the two of them. "If it will help this one fight Shishio, this one will come once he knows they are safe."

Misao smiled once more and walked the nurse's body outside.

"It's gonna be a long walk home," Yahiko grumbled.

"I think we should just go home," Kaoru agreed. "No point staying here," she grinned humorously. "I don't need that nurse pestering me anymore about sending us to the hospital. We can't afford it and they can't do anything."

"I bet you told her off for that," Yahiko grinned as well, some level of normalcy after the mornings events reasserting itself.

"It was a sight to see, it certainly was."

The door to the nurse's office burst open and a familiar voice could be heard behind the curtains.

"Jou-chan and the kozou are here?"

The nurse, evidently no longer possessed by Misao, replied snippishly, "Who are you talking about, young man?"

"The Kamiya kids. Are they here?"

Kaoru stood up and opened the curtain. "Yes, Sanosuke we are. Now what are _you_ doing here?"

Sano hesitated for a moment. "Megumi left a message that you two needed to be brought home." Kaoru smiled, just _imagining_ what Megumi would do to get Sanosuke's attention. "When I checked at the high school, they told me you and the kozou were here."

"I am _not_ a brat!"

"Keep telling yourself that."

"Hey!" Yahiko moved to leap at their tall neighbor before hissing in pain and doubling over. Kaoru was once more by his side, checking his neck. His burns remained the faded color that they were before the events of the morning, meaning the sudden motion probably just aggravated them. Nothing supernaturally related. She allowed herself a sigh of relief.

Sanosuke walked over to the bed, noticing the fresh bandages.

"So nurse," he said, "what's it take for me to get these two home?"

* * *

Sano drove them to his house, not theirs, and promptly sat them in the great room before disappearing into the kitchen. That he was willingly offering his own food, in his own house, was a statement on how worried he was. Kaoru felt warmly touched. 

"_Imagine my surprise when that icy ninja shows up and says something happened to you, _" Megumi was saying. "_I was so shocked that he'd even spoke, I thought the heavens would fall or something. I mean, really, imagine the trouble he must have gone through to open his mouth, to dare lower himself by speaking to me. I'm sure it was like taking icicles and stabbing them into his throat. But, oh wait, I forgot. As a ghost he doesn't have a throat. _"

Kaoru grinned, picturing the image. Yahiko also had a faint smirk on his face, feeling the mirth.

"But what I want to know," she said, "is how you were able to tell Sanosuke that we needed you."

"Don't answer that, kitsune!" Sano shouted from the kitchen.

"_Oh, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, _" Megumi laughed. Yahiko in turn gave an odd mimic of it. "_You see, our dear rooster doesn't wake up as early as you two. He was much too busy sleeping off all that beer, sake, and other alcohols that he'd eaten for dinner. His feathers were molting, he'd had so much. I had to flip his sheets off in order for him to just roll over. _"

Kaoru was giggling, Yahiko again mimicking Megumi's laugh.

"_I won't bother explaining what it took to get him out of bed. Let's just say he was very pink by the time he stumbled into the shower. _"

"Whatever she's saying is an outright lie!!"

"_All the steam fogged up the mirror, so I used that to write him a message. Then came making the water ice cold. That_ certainly _woke him up. _" Kaoru was now in peels of laughter, Yahiko not far behind. "_You should have heard the curse words he used when he found the writing on the mirror. Our rooster gave _quite_ the cock-a-doodle-doo. His feathers un-molted, and for the first time since he moved in I watched him fly. _"

The laughter continued for several minutes, and when it finally died down the Kamiya children felt much better. Sano, bright red coloring his throat to enhance his rooster imagery, finally came in from the kitchen. Two hot bowls of ramen mixed with vegetables and pork. A second trip brought mismatched glasses of water, and the third trip was a plate of apples.

"Fridge was empty, so I stopped off on the way to get you," he said sheepishly.

Yahiko quickly dug in, flinching at the hot broth but inhaling it anyway. Sano sat heavily with them watching as the two of them ate.

"Breakfast wasn't all that long ago, but I'm surprised I'm so hungry," Kaoru said, savoring her apple and licking up the juice.

"Horses would like apples," Yahiko slurped.

"Only ungrateful brats would say that about the roses that bloom over them, Yahiko-chan."

"Don't call me chan! Busu tanuki!"

"_Tanuki? _" Megumi asked, mirth entering her voice again. "_Well, now, that is an image that suits you. In fact I can see the tail right now. _"

"Megumi!! I thought you were supposed to be on my side!"

"_If Sanosuke can look like a rooster, then you can look like a raccoon. Now all we need is an image for Yahiko. _"

"Brat suits him just fine. Although right now pig might work."

"It does not!"

The three of them burst out laughing again. They continued to joke back and forth as they ate, enjoying each others company.

Sanosuke, sipping a bottle of sake until now, put it down. He looked up with dark eyes.

"Jou-chan," he said slowly. "How can you laugh over this?"

Both Kamiya paused, and Megumi fell silent. "What?"

"I saw you when you slid down the snow, I saw Yahiko. I can't even imagine what it felt like when that ghost or whatever killed somebody, but I know it damn well hurt. How the hell can you be so light about it? Shit, how can the kitsune be so light about it?"

"_I beg your pardon? _"

"No, Megumi, it's fine," Kaoru said quickly. She turned to her live companion. "You're right. It's hard, it's very hard. But there's no point in completely moping about it. It would crush us if it did." Yahiko was very quiet. Kaoru smiled. "But now that that's settled, here," she tossed an apple. "I'm curious if roosters can eat apples."

"You really are a tanuki."

Yahiko grinned evilly. "Glad you agree."

* * *

Two hours later, Kaoru was refilling a glass of water. She walked out to the back; the sun was filling a bright, cerulean blue sky. Any clouds that existed were only feathers in the blue. It looked as if the brown tree trunks were reaching up with their branches to try and touch the sun. 

"_He's after something. _"

"What?"

"_I can't say with absolute certainty. _"

Kaoru stilled, recognizing the voice of Kenshin and the soft tones of Misao's partner, Aoshi. She turned but could not see them.

"Please, tell this one anyway."

"_His patterns are very deliberate; he's looking at specific locations. The places make little sense when looking at the present day, but looking at his time period airs it out. He's going to his old haunts, his old battles. The first place he checked was where he and you fought. Was there anything that he treasured, something he liked to keep close? _"

Pause. Kaoru realized belatedly she was eavesdropping, but couldn't bring herself to pull away.

"Two things, to his one's knowledge. He treasured the Oiran at his side, he did; and he treasured his sword, Mugenjin."

"_The woman is obviously dead by now. He must be after the sword, then. A demon of his rank's power would make him able to physically manifest for brief periods. In conjunction with possessing someone and he would, in effect, be reborn. _"

"That would only cause problems, it would."

"_Yes. _"

And Kaoru felt nothing but worry.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

This was a favorite to write. As we've mention in previous notes, we love the Kenshin-Kaoru-Yahiko unit. An on to the reviewers!

**Fantasy Addict**: as always, your reviews make us smile. :) We're so glad you liked the portrayal of Saitou, he's a very hard character for us to write about, and we feel we could have done a much better job with him in this fic. Your support takes the sting off his sucky-ness. Maybe we didn't do as bad as we thought!

** Wonderland**: Sano will never see ghosts if we can help it. It's not an ability that can just magicaly occur, and besides you need a "normal" character to anchor a fic like this. It was a good question, however, thanks for asking.

**IchikoKitsuneKoumori**: yeah, well, it took that long because, like Kenshin, he had to wake up fully before he went on a murdering pillage. It only gets worse fro here. :)

And, of course, thanks to our other reviewers: Gozaru no da, Reignashii, Hermione13579, Katie, and Mala Valvah. All comments are always welcome:)


	9. Chapter 9

**Part 9**

Yahiko and Kaoru both debated on whether or not to go to school the following day. Kenshin wanted them to stay home so he could keep an eye on him, and both Kamiya siblings ignored his thoughts on the subject. Staying home was an acceptable idea, especially since it postponed the wagging tongues at both schools, but that was the problem. It was a postponement. Plus Kaoru had a literature test and Yahiko had a math test, both wanted desperately to go to kendo club that afternoon and vent some frustrations (even if Kaoru couldn't hold a bokken), and other responsibilities. Still, the idea that of Shishio having such a strong reaction on them at school, well, they didn't want to discuss that.

In the end, they decided to see what the morning would bring. The alarm went off and they did their morning routine as normal. Neither stuck in bed to stay home. They both decided for themselves to face school again. The walk to school was blissfully uneventful, as was the day at school. However, Kaoru couldn't help but feel that she had eyes glued to her back the entire day. It felt like someone was watching her, but she couldn't find the culprit. The same thing happened during kendo club, though Yahiko didn't seem to feel anything. She was certain it was her imagination except for the sheer strength behind it.

Irritated beyond measure by the eyes on her back, Kaoru ignored Raijuta-sensei and picked up a bokken to pound out some frustration, enjoying the twinges of pain that her burned hands produced. It was a welcomed distraction. Kenshin asked her if she was alright, but given the crowded gym, she merely nodded and ignored him.

When the club ended for the day it was already dark out.

"Busu, you okay?" Yahiko voiced his own concerns.

"Fine," Kaoru replied. "I just feel like I'm being watched." That put Kenshin on alert, or rather, more alert than he'd been on. "Mou," she muttered. "It's probably nothing, my hyper-active imagination playing tricks on me after all that's happened."

"A little paranoia can be a good thing, it can."

Kaoru just shook her head, put on her backpack, and took Yahiko's as well, so it wouldn't aggravate the wounds on his back.

Together the three of them began the trek home. She _still_ felt eyes on her back.

Until they came to an intersection. Then she saw the source of her stalker. He started walking beside them as they passed and kept in stride with them.

"Saitou-san," Kaoru greeted. Now that the eyes were off her back she felt, she wasn't sure what. She was still tense, but it was a different kind of tension than before. "It's a pleasure to see you again."

"Like getting whacked on the head with a bokken," Yahiko grumbled.

"I have some questions regarding yesterday," he stated, ignoring her brother's jibe.

"Yahiko, why don't you go ahead," Kaoru turned to her brother. "You've been complaining about the homework you have, so why don't you get it done while I talk with Saitou-san."

"I'm not five anymore, busu, why should I go?"

Kaoru leveled one of her glares at him. What she was going to mention to Saitou would probably involve what she had overheard the previous afternoon, and she was _not_ going to have Yahiko going gung ho on searching for a sword. "Because I'm bigger than you."

Yahiko growled something, ready to fight.

Ignoring Saitou's presence, Kaoru turned to Kenshin. "Take him home," she said, swiftly taking off Yahiko's backpack and handing it to him. "Make sure he stays there."

"This one would rather you two together."

"He's worried about you," Yahiko added.

"Both of you can worry at home. I'll be safe with Saitou-san."

"But he can't _see_," Yahiko growled. "He _can't_ protect you."

Kaoru hid a smile. Her dear, sweet, rude little brother wanted her safe as much as she wanted him safe, even if he couldn't do anything.

A stubborn clash of three wills gathered. Kenshin and Yahiko wouldn't leave Kaoru, and she wouldn't discuss things with Yahiko there.

Saitou merely watched the squabble without saying a word.

She turned to the translucent, threadbare rurouni. "Take him home. He needs you more than I do at the moment."

"Kaoru-dono..."

"It was you staying with me that got this started. Stay with him now." All three parties involved flinched. Yahiko at his guilt for opening the shrine, Kenshin's guilt for not realizing what he was meant to protect, and Kaoru's guilt at having to use it to get them to back off.

"Very well, Kaoru-dono."

"No!" Yahiko cried out, feeling Kenshin relenting. "I'm not going! I'm not leaving her _alone_!"

"She won't be alone," Saitou finally stepped forward. "And she won't be far behind. Now beat it."

Kenshin reached out to pull Yahiko along, before stopping and withdrawing. Yahiko growled something unrepeatable and took off running. Watching him go, Kaoru let out a cross between a sigh and a sob. She would have to do major damage control when she got home. She didn't need this! She just wanted to be with the remaining family she had, put him into college, watch over his happy life, hell, even have a happy life for herself! But since releasing Shishio, all her hopes and aspirations were being torn apart and crumbled into itty bitty pieces.

_Not now_! she scolded herself. Deep breath. Straight back. "So, Saitou-san, what do you want to know?"

"Who was the ghost you were just talking to?"

No sign of unbelieving in his voice. Saitou was not showing any signs that he didn't believe in ghosts any more than if he did.

"Meiji rurouni," she replied, uncomfortable with giving out names. "He has it in his head that it's his job to protect us."

"And the shrine."

Kaoru glared.

"'It was you staying with me that got this started.' He was with you when the shrine was opened." Saitou offered a wolfish grin. "That also implies his responsibility was to keep people such as yourselves from opening the shrine."

Kaoru flushed, uncomfortable with his deducing things she'd rather kept to herself.

Saitou left the subject alone and moved on. "I understand your burns were smoking yesterday."

The kendo practitioner said nothing. She merely removed a bandage from one of her hands, showing him the wounded skin. He pulled out a small flashlight and inspected the charring. It was no different than the last time he'd seen it when he first arrived at Sanosuke's house, no sign of the heat it radiated the previous day.

"The nurse's records indicated that they were bleeding yesterday. There are no signs of that."

"We didn't exactly walk into another black cloud," she growled, pulling her hand from his inspection and rewrapping it.

"Then what did cause it? This Shishio demon?"

Kaoru's anger flared. "He evidently saw it fit to kill someone yesterday," she bit out. "And lucky us, we were on the receiving end thanks to his marking us."

He didn't ask what "marking" was. Instead, he inquired about what she had learned about Shishio since then. Kaoru sighed. This was the part she didn't want the other two knowing about. That she had eavesdropped about the Mugenjin and during her free time in the library today, tried to find information about the sword.

"So Shishio is after either the sword or his whore."

Kaoru automatically bristled. "That's what I said! He's probably after the sword, since she's dead by now!"

"I thank you for the information." Saitou leaned back, his face becoming obscured in the nighttime shadows. "I'll stay in touch."

He left her alone on the street, spirits already starting to gather to pester her about this or that.

Sighing, Kaoru started back on the long walk home.

* * *

When she got home, the house was silent. Yahiko was no doubt hiding in his room from the cruel thing she said to get him to leave, Kenshin had probably vanished once Yahiko was safely in the house. And why? Just so Kaoru could tell information to Saitou, who she wasn't even sure she could trust, on the off-off-off chance that he might be able to help. She was an _idiot_ sometimes. Quietly shutting the door behind her, she sat down on the step to take off her shoes. 

Tears were prickling at her eyes. Her hands still faintly burned. It was just too much. She curled up on the step, not even having the strength to take off her other shoe. She was just so tired of it all. Of spirits pestering her to help them. Of the strange looks the people at school would give her. Of dealing with Saitou and his lack of _any_thing to put her at ease. Of Shishio's constant burning in her hands. Of everything.

On some level, she resisted just laying there, silent tears slipping out of her eyes. She had a paper due the following day, a kendo meet was coming up in a week or so that she wanted to practice for. Yahiko probably hadn't had dinner, so she should whip up a sandwich for him or something. But instead she just lay there.

What on earth has possessed her to make such a rude remark? It was _nobody's_ fault that Shishio had escaped his prison, and she had said something in a manner that had hurt everyone involved. Forget damage control, would she even have anything to repair? She'd _never_ say anything like that normally! Tease and insult, yes, but that was cruelly slicing away at the precious bond she had with her only living family left and erecting a wall with the one spirit that didn't pester or irritate her, but instead wanted to protect her.

She was an _idiot_.

Kaoru didn't know how long she lay there, wallowing in the pain and tearing into herself for saying such a hurtful thing. Without Saitou's eyes boring into her back, she'd had a moment's clarity. She hadn't wanted Yahiko there because she didn't want him involved. But, dammit, he was already involved, and marked worse than she was. She couldn't _not_ involve him. He deserved every scrap of information he could get just as much as she did. And she just shut him out. Of all the stupid--

A small hand touched her shoulder, rolling her onto her back.

"Kaoru?"

She didn't think, she just wrapped her arms around her brother and sobbed. "I'm sorry, Yahiko, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you! I've been such a bitch..." He was the only family she had left. She'd promised herself that she would protect him from anything, selfishly, so that she wouldn't loose him. She just never thought that she'd need to protect him from herself. "'m sorry..."

Yahiko hugged her tightly as well, fighting the tears in his own eyes. "Busu! You've been the only thing to keep me _sane_ since dad died. Don't you dare call your tanuki self a bitch."

The held each other, in the entry way, neither quite willing to let go of the other. Their burns still ached, but they didn't seem to sting quite so much. Kaoru spilled everything she'd heard from Kenshin and Aoshi the previous day and Yahiko offered what he could in information. Still in the entry way, they both planned how to spend their time at the library the following day. After all, as long as they were alive, they were going to fight back.

Unbeknownst to the two siblings, a wandering spirit watched over them, a smile lighting his lilac eyes.

* * *

Saitou sat behind his desk, eyes looking downward but unseeing. In front of him was a report of a death from Shinjuku. It was a puzzler to those investigating it. A young business man, healthy, fit, and with a wedding within a month, had just keeled over at a business meeting, dead. The coroner couldn't find any explanation of his death. There were no marks on the body, and the organs were in perfect condition. 

When the Kamiya girl had said that the Shishio demon killed someone, this was the case that immediately came to mind. Normally it would be written off as "natural causes" for some sort of medical reason that was probably very, very rare. However, Saitou was looking at it again. Whether or not he believed that the Kamiya children could see or feel ghosts was still up in the air. There was no doubt that something happened to them when he arrived at the rooster's house to find them smoking with burns that looked days old.

He'd watched them, suspecting they were keeping something from him. Their odd behavior was fascinating. The Kamiya girl seemed to speak to someone who wasn't there, and the Kamiya boy seemed uncomfortable when she did. A thorough background check had revealed no history of mental illness in the family. The death of their father could attribute to some sort of mental breakdown except that the Kamiya behaviors had been around since before their mother died.

When confronted, the girl had said that their family could see or sense spirits. That the dark cloud he sensed over the city was a demon named Shishio Makoto. That this demon had just killed someone.

It made sense. But it wasn't supposed to. So Saitou reserved judgment.

So instead, he decided to look into this Shishio Makoto and the Himura Kenshin who had defeated him. They were Meiji era, so he started at the beginning of the Bakumatsu no Doran and worked his way forward. There were no records in the regular channels of either men, but Saitou had access to other channels of information. Both Shishio and Himura had been assassins. Shishio had gone insane and tried to overthrow the government while Himura helped and aided anyone who crossed his path.

A fascinating story, but it didn't seem to be pertinent to what was going on in his city. There was an underlying tension that Saitou sensed, and it was growing. Petty crimes were increasing in numbers and perpetrators were getting more hostile.

There was also the spirit that the Kamiya girl had spoken to the previous night. She didn't give his name, but he was the spirit who was supposed to "guard" the shrine that the Kamiya boy had opened. What had happened? It was an inconsistency in the Kamiya story. Why did a guardian leave his post? There were also her allusions to ghosts who seemed to know more about what was going on. _Those_ were the spirits he wanted to talk to, if they even existed.

"A sword and a whore, huh?" he whispered to himself. If nothing else, it was fascinating to see where the Kamiya's story led him to.

* * *

Father burning in a fire... 

Yahiko's eyes snapped open, every muscle tense and his breath caught in his throat. It wasn't the first time he had dreamed since receiving the mark. Insofar as he could tell, Kaoru didn't get them; he just assumed that it was yet another symptom, like the burns which currently ached along his neck and shoulders.

He ripped the comforter off, realizing belatedly his futon and his self was soaked in sweat. Frustrated, the boy tried to stay still and fall asleep again. It was to no avail; he was wide awake. Conceding the inevitable, he sat up. Moonlight was streaming through his room, three quarters full and casting everything in shades of silver.

Changing nightwear did not help him. His body was too wired, his mind recycling the horrible image of his father in a fire, skin melting, the acidy smell of smoke everywhere, and the unbearable heat.

Growling, he grabbed a shinai and padded silently down the hall and down the stairs. Maybe some practice outside would work the negative energy out.

Stepping out to the backyard, he slipped in the mud and fell back. It had been raining for three days, and only now did the boy notice that his yard was a mudball. A vicious curse escaped his lips before he bit his teeth together. Kaoru, at least, was still sleeping and he dared not wake her, make her worry more than she already was.

Exhaling through his nose he stood up and began marching towards the trees as his mind continued to darken.

It had been two weeks since they learned about the demon's sword, Mugenjin. There was _nothing_ listed _anywhere_ about it. Not in libraries, not in history texts, not even on the internet. Both of them spent so much time working on it that their grades started slipping - something he had already been called in by his teachers about. If he wanted to get into at good high school, he would have to start getting good grades now, of course; so please stop researching your hobby and get back to studying.

Stupid bastards, like they had a clue what was really going on. Like he could _tell_ them what was really going on. Yahiko continued to stomp through the woods, unaware he was muttering curses under his breath.

He wondered if Kaoru even remembered that her graduation was only three weeks away. Exams were in two weeks. It was supposed to be her shining moment, when all of her efforts and achievements were celebrated in her crowning achievement. But no, it had been completely ruined because stupid Yahiko had opened the stupid shrine and was stupidly marked by that stupid demon with those stupid burns.

"STUPID!!" Yahiko blindly swung his shinai, and it cracked against something. Refocusing on the outside world, the rusty eyed boy found his feet had carried him to the shrine. The gates were still open, as it had been left. The earth under his feet was soft but not muddy, and the boulders looked almost white in the moonlight.

Father burning in a fire...

An intense, guttural cry escaped from his throat, and Yahiko beat his sword into the boulder - even now not daring to touch the shrine - thwacking and pounding and kicking and shouting.

"It's all your fault! You ruined everything! Give it back! Give it back! Give me back my life! Give me back my sister! Give me back my _father_!!"

It felt like all he even knew was loss; this had all started when his father passed away. Had Shishio caused that to make him open the shrine? Was Kaoru next? Was Yahiko doomed to be alone?

"I hate you! I hate you! I _hate_ you!! Aaauugh! Bastard! _Bastard_!! Bastard..."

The energy finally dissipated, and Yahiko sunk to his knees, panting. Tears were streaming down his face; his body was shaking with his sobs.

The gentle smell of incense wrapped around him, the heated stones curling up into his fingers and toes before rolling up to his forehead and the small of his back.

"Kenshin..."

The feeling of the stones rubbed in small circles. Comfort.

"I hate it," he sobbed. "I hate being the only weak one! You can do things with the Oniwabanshu, that wolf Saitou can do things. Hell, Kaoru does _everything_, and I do _nothing_! God, I can't stand it!" He rammed his fist into the boulder, his skin breaking on contact. "I'm _useless_!"

One heated stone moved up to the already heated skin of his burned shoulder. It was harder to interpret the subtler movements like this, but Yahiko could guess what Kenshin was saying. "It's not your fault, it isn't."

"Bullshit it's not my fault," Yahiko muttered, his body sagging under its own weight. Exhaustion hit him all at once, and he curled up under the boulder by the shrine. The incense was making him sleepy; the heated stones still rolling around his back and becoming slightly heavy.

"You are very strong, you are. There are very few boys who have a heart as strong as yours, this one thinks it is so strong it's only rival is your sister's, he does. Both experience ghosts and yet they are still healthy people; they still practice kendo and love each other; they still go to school and maintain grades. This one would like to see another of your age do half as well. Yahiko-kun, you are the strongest because you are enduring the most, you are. This one is proud of you."

His voice was a soft tenor. Yahiko couldn't grasp why he could hear Kenshin, but his words warmed him considerably. He was almost asleep when arms wrapped around him, and Kaoru took him home.

* * *

Saitou stared at the schools where the Kamiya children were currently located. It had taken weeks of investigation. The Kamiya had suffered from their "markings" which had him linking deaths that normally would never be related. And yet he saw the similarities. They were definitely subtle. Anyone lesser would have missed it. But Saitou saw. And he saw the pattern. 

This demon Shishio, who Saitou believed did exist and was part of the dark cloud he sensed hanging over the city, was close to two things. A sword and a whore. Saitou had finally found what he was looking for. The sword, was tricky to find. Aside from a record of its creation, no files existed on who it was given to after its owner's death.

That didn't stop Saitou. That information he was going to give to the Kamiya children and trust that they would pass it off to the ghosts in the know. That much he could leave to them.

Saitou, however, had a woman he needed to see.

* * *

Som much needed angst by Kaoru and Yahiko. :) Next chappie is the finally. Hope y'all are looking forward to it.

**Hermoine13579**: Well, there's on member of the Juppongatana... sort of. See if you can spy it. ;)

**IchikoKitsuneKoumori**: Glad you liked. I suppose helping the dead would make the ghosts a little quieter. After all; they sure seem to demand to have their needs met. But can you picture a high school student and a middle school student trying to be mediums? They'd probably fail all their courses and in Japan that's practically heresy. Maybe when they're more grown up.

And thanks to Katie, FantasyAddict, and MalaValvah for your kind reviews. This fic has the highest review-to-chapter ratio of all our fics! We must be doing something right. :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Part 10**

Neither Kamiya were fairing well. Both had been awakened the previous night by another murder from Shishio, and they both were getting damn sick of feeling sick. Kaoru saw unsightly bags under her eyes in the mirror, and Yahiko next to her was horribly pale. Both sucked it up, however; they had missed too many days of school to afford to miss another - especially with exams looming over them.

They were putting their shoes on when the phone rang. Cursing, Kaoru pulled them back off and jogged back into the house to pick up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Go to the Tsukiyoumi Shrine. It might be there, so bring one that knows more than most." Saitou, Kaoru recognized the voice, hung up.

"Huh?" she stared at the receiver blankly, processing what he just said. "Wha... how the hell am I supposed to do that?" she shouted to the offending object.

"Busu?"

Stomping back out and putting her shoes on, she grabbed her confused little brother's hand and started marching. "Saitou called," she explained. "He thinks the Mugenjin is at some Tsukiyoumi Shrine or something. The jerk wants us to magically dig up the Oniwabanshu and bring them over to find out if it really is the sword or not."

Yahiko, too, took a moment to process. "How the hell are we supposed to do that?" he echoed, anger settling on his face. "He's the police officer; he should be the one doing it! Why are we saddled with all the work?"

"My thoughts exactly," Kaoru huffed.

"Oro?"

"What, Kenshin?" Kaoru turned her wrath on the red headed specter, ready to imbue divine retribution if he _dared_ say anything stupid.

"It is just that, this one knows where the Tsukiyoumi Shrine is, he does."

Both Kamiya stopped in their tracks. "You do?"

"Yes, it was around when this one was alive. The miko, the priestesses who work there are known for their spiritual powers, they are. It would make sense that a cursed sword or demonic sword would be brought there for purification."

They mulled it over their in their heads. There was no way for them to contact the Oniwabanshu, she doubted Kenshin knew how it was done either. But they were "under watch," as Misao had said once. Finally, Kaoru turned on her heel.

"Where is it?"

It was a forty five minute walk. Kaoru was certain they could have taken the subway, but Kenshin didn't have a clue how to get there without walking. Yahiko was cursing silently under his breath at the length of the walk, but both she and Kenshin ignored him. They knew they were there because there was a steep hill of steps to climb, the base of which was the classic red torii. Both Kamiya stared up the stone steps.

"You've got to be kidding me," the younger brother said.

"Kenshin?"

"It is up there, it is," the rurouni said. A rare smile was on his lips.

"You don't have to go up these," Yahiko groaned. "You can float or whatever."

"We won't get up there by just standing here," Kaoru said. "Come on." She took off her windbreaker and unbuttoned her burgundy jacket, trying to give her body as much breathing room as possible. Yahiko acted similarly and they began the trek up the steps.

Twenty minutes later, both were huffing, puffing, and glaring at Kenshin who was of course not winded at all.

"This one used to race others up these steps," Kenshin said happily, lost in his own nostalgia. "He always won, this one did; he could make it up in about fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen minutes?" Kaoru growled. "Did you grow wings or something??"

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu," he replied.

"If he wasn't already dead," Yahiko breathed, "I'd kill him."

Even ten minutes after that, they finally reached the top. Yahiko dropped onto the ground, panting and sweating. Kaoru sat by him, certain she'd lost thirty pounds from the excursion. She gave herself another moment, and then stood. "Come on, Yahiko, let's get this over with."

It took a moment to find someone, but Yahiko finally spied a miko sweeping with a bamboo broom on the west side of the temple.

"May I help you?" the small woman asked, apparently very soft spoken.

"Yes," Kaoru said; bowing and trying in vain to straighten herself out at the same time. "My name is Kamiya Kaoru; this is my brother, Yahiko." A quick whack on the head and he bowed slightly in respect.

"Yukishiro Tomoe," the priestess offered. Her eyes narrows slightly, and her lips thinned suddenly. "You are both marked by a demon."

Kaoru and her brother blinked. "Eh? You can see it?"

"Yes, it is very strong," Tomoe said, reaching out. "You on your hands. You, on your neck and shoulders." Turning back to Kaoru, she added, "You also have a second mark. I don't think it's a demon's..."

"It's not," Kaoru said quickly, seeing Kenshin's obligatory look of self deprecation. "There is a guardian near our house. We kind of woke... well, it's a long story. The short part is that we accidentally released a ghost turned demon. The demon is after something and we think it's the sword he had in life. So, would you happen to have a sword called Mugenjin that was wielded by an Ishin hitokiri named Shishio Makoto from the Bakumatsu no Doran stored here for safekeeping?" The words fell out quickly, Kaoru belatedly hoped she made sense.

Tomoe, to her credit, only blinked.

Yahiko started scratching his neck, and Kaoru herself poked at her itchy hands, waiting for a reply.

"We do have sword here. I do not know its name or its origin, but the head priest cautioned several times to never touch it. Human touch will awaken the evil powers of the sword."

"Of course it would," Yahiko muttered, knowing he had done just that. He again ran his fingers over his neck.

"Kaoru-dono," Kenshin started, but before he could finish pain shot through her arms and Yahiko cried out. They both fell to the ground. Yahiko shrieked at the pain coursing through him, vomiting up his breakfast and, this time, flecks of blood as well. Kaoru saw and felt skin break on her palms, blood spurting all over her uniform. Shishio had killed again. This was much more intense than the other times, even as she tried to pull her steaming brother close with her own steaming hands, but before she could even ask the question, Kenshin answered it for her.

"He's coming up the steps," he said, his voice low and his eyes gold.

"A samurai," Tomoe whispered.

The pain wasn't leaving, if anything it was becoming more acute. Kaoru felt as though her hands were melting off the bone, pain shooting up her arms and then down her spine, making her twitch and convulse. Yahiko was writhing, his eyes rolling back into his head and giving gurgled screams.

Tomoe was suddenly there in her field of vision, making quick hand gestures. She pulled out four paper fudo and placed them on the ground. An odd blue energy encircled them, and everything Kaoru was feeling dulled; not going away but becoming infinitely more bearable. Yahiko was still incoherent, but it seemed even he was doing better.

"All of you; stay behind me," Kenshin ordered. His sakabatou was drawn, and he stood at the ready.

A dark head peaked over the horizon of the steps. Kaoru did not see the bandaged figure of a man, as she'd come to expect from the descriptions of Aoshi and Misao, but the sensuous body of a woman. Well proportioned and only barely clothed, she stepped into the temple grounds and smiled. Kaoru somehow made out that her eyes were red.

"Battousai," she said. "I see you finally decided to show yourself instead of playing house with those... children."

"Shishio..."

"Really, I find it quite degrading to you," the girl said, shrugging her shoulders, "you being my senpai, my predecessor and all. I'll tell you what, why don't I go collect my sword and we can have a rematch."

"I will not allow you to re-manifest," Kenshin said darkly. Kaoru and Tomoe could only watch. "Release the woman you have taken."

The red eyes hardened. "No."

"Then I have no choice."

The fight began.

* * *

"Nee-chan..." 

Kaoru looked broke her mesmerized state and turned to her brother. He was still steaming from his burns. "It's so heavy..." His eyes were still rolled into his head, blood still seeping from his mouth. "It hurts so much..."

"Shh, it's okay," Kaoru whispered. "Kenshin will take care of it. You know how strong he is."

"I can't..."

Tomoe leaned in. "Here," she said softly, a fudo in her hand. She placed it lightly on his forehead. "It should dull the pain."

Energy crackled around the shield she had constructed, and Kaoru watched as the fudo set fire, becoming ashes in less than a second. Yahiko cried out, his back arching.

"Shh, shh, hang on," Tomoe said, putting another fudo on his fore head. The miko kept her fingers pressed, her brow furrowing. "I've never seen a mark this strong," she whispered; sweat was beginning to collect under her bangs.

"Kaoru-san," she added, looking to her. "I think the reason you and your brother react so strongly is because you have miko blood in you."

"What?" There was a clang of swords near them, and both instinctively ducked.

"You can see spirits, can you not? Your brother, too?"

"Yes, well I do. Yahiko just--"

"It was from your mother, yes?" Tomoe pressed. She did not wait for an answer. "Go into the temple. Your brother clearly opened the shrine; he has the worst mark. Your samurai has marked you, and between it, Shishio's mark, and your miko blood, you should have enough power to neutralize the sword, making it useless to the demon."

"What?" Kaoru didn't understand.

"The demon's mark will bring you to it, the samurai's mark will prevent it from taking you over, and your miko heritage will purify the sword. Now go! Hurry!"

Tomoe spoke no more, turning all her concentration to Yahiko and her fudo.

Kaoru took a deep breath, steeling herself, and then stood and stepped outside the fudo shield. Pain shot through her arms, and her hands again began bleeding. She nearly fell to her knees, but sheer willpower prevented her from doing so.

"Kaoru-dono! Get back where it is safe!" Kenshin was in front of her in an instant, blocking her from Shishio.

Kunai flew from somewhere, and the woman jumped thirty feet into the air to avoid it.

"_Himura, take care of Shishio! _" Misao and Aoshi joined him, again appearing from no where.

"_Kamiya has something she must do, _" Aoshi added. "_The miko is right. _"

All three charged at the woman, disappearing. Kaoru dimly wondered in the back of her mind just who, exactly, had volunteered her for this. Never mind, she decided, she could beat up the necessary parties later.

She stumbled to the temple jerkily, constantly dodging bursts of energy, light, or ghosts.

Kaoru pitched to the floor of the engawa when she felt something zoom past her head. She lay still for a moment, the pain in her hands and arms unbearable; she didn't even want to guess how much blood she had lost from her palms.

"How interesting." Looking up, the kendo student saw the woman Shishio had possessed staring down at her. Envy of that perfect figure briefly swept through Kaoru before she remembered her place. "You're the little bird that Battousai has claimed his own. Of course he'd pick someone special, that's just like him. Do you know why he has the scar that he does?"

"Ke-cho Kick!" Misao rammed into the woman, her shadow passing over Kaoru.

"Oniwabanshu Nitou Ryu Ougi: Kaiten Kenbu Rokuren!" Aoshi swept by, leaping over Kaoru. Kaoru marveled, not for the first time that some ghosts really could manifest in the physical world.

Struggling to her feet, Kaoru fumbled into the temple and its relative quiet. She was panting, sweat everywhere, and in absolute agony. The cuts on her hands had spread up her arms, and blood was pooling on the beautiful hardwood floor. Rolling to her side, she fought to her knees and realized dimly she didn't have the strength to stand. When did she get so weak?

"_Ah, that's how you do it. _"

She turned slowly, shocked to see the tall blue form before her. "Saitou?"

"_You'll find my body at the foot of the steps, _" he said simply. "_Now I see what you were talking about. _" He took a drag of a cigarette. "_These ghostly matters are really quite fascinating. _"

"You would find it interesting," she muttered. Feeling somehow stupid for crawling but unable to do better, she moved deeper into the bowels of the temple, searching for the Mugenjin. Of course Tomoe was nice enough to tell her it was in the temple, but heaven forbid anyone in this beautiful mess be helpful enough to tell her _where_ in the temple.

That thought quickly died in her mind, however, when she entered the next room. It was filled with the scent of blood, and at the far end of the room was the sword, carefully wrapped. Like with the shrine, there were no fudo, not wards, nothing to make one think it was dangerous. Kaoru doubted she would have noticed were it not for the intense fight going on outside. Saitou was beside her, still smoking his cigarette, content to watch.

"Why not join the fight outside," Kaoru muttered, inching into the room and sliding the door closed. Hopefully the fight wouldn't wander into the temple.

"_I'm not a guardian, or a demon, like the ones outside. I don't have their powers yet. That's fine. Watching can be much more interesting than participating. _"

"Is that was you've been doing for the last, what, three weeks? Four? Watching?"

There was an intense rush of energy, and Kaoru felt the cuts spread further up her arms, watched the blood spurt again as the pain increased even more. Strength left her, and she fell to the floor completely, her body unwilling to move, just out of arms reach of the sword.

"Kaoru-chan! Hurry!"

"Kamiya, the sword!"

"Kaoru-dono!"

So the fight had entered the shrine. The image of Yahiko burning in black smoke flittered through her mind, along with everything that had happened since. Energy was crackling in the room; she could see the woman casually walking in. The sword was humming, loudly. Growling, Kaoru pushed herself forward by an arm's length. "I'm so sick of this!!" She reached out and wrapped her blood-covered hands over the sword, pulling it close.

"No!" the woman cried.

White light seemed to emit from everywhere. Pain coursed through Kaoru yet again, blood filling her nose and mouth as the sword tried to possess her. The heated stones that Yahiko had so frequently talked about rolled over her back and then down her arms, stopping at the sword and pressing into her palms. After that she saw her mother, smiling down at her.

"_I'm so proud of you... _"

And Kaoru remembered nothing after that.

* * *

**Author's Notes**: Yep. All that's left is the epilogue. We hope this was action-y enough to be a good finale and that we kept you on your toes in regards to things. Hopefully Kaoru and Yahiko having miko blood was out of left field for you. The whole time we were writing this we felt it was so obvious, but eh, if it was, it was; if it wasn't, it wasn't.

**iluvchocs**: Well, we hope the human-to-ghost ration has remained well balanced for you now that Saitou was killed dodges objects from Saitou fans. Sorry this wasn't the last chapter, we misstated before. There _are_ only 10 chapters, but we forgot to mention the epilogue. blush

**IchikoKitsuneKoumori**: You have not now, nor have you ever been, a bitch. No need to worry. And yes, Saitou was a big help, telling Kaoru-tachi about this shrine, ne? He even came to help fight! Sorta...

**sestrilla**: We're glad you like the story. We're still amazed at the number of reviews we're getting for this little story. We have to remind ourselves that people in the Rurouni Kenshin community actually leave reviews. And a lot of them. 0.o Straaaange...

**EvilChild**: Glad you've found and liked our little story. We're also glad you liked the characterisations. Honestly, Saitou is very hard to pin down, but the others were okay. When we read through this story, we feel something is a little off and that something could have come out better, but it's people like you and our other reviewers that reassure us that we did do something right. Hope you enjoyed the ending as well.


	11. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The first thing Kaoru was aware of was humming. Someone was humming. Humming a song that her mother used to sing. Second was a hand running through her hair. Third was that she was _sore_ all over.

Opening her eyes, Kaoru took a moment to take stock of her situation. She was in a hospital. Yahiko was currently curled into her side, humming and running a hand through her hair in a strange reversal of what she had done over the past few weeks. Kenshin was to one side, his face relaxed in relief. Sanosuke was sitting by her other side, arms crossed and seemingly asleep. Over Sano's shoulder was Megumi, looking at the various instruments near Kaoru's bed. Misao and Aoshi were watching her intently from the foot of her bed and Saitou was in a corner of the room, smoking.

"_Kaoru-chan!_" Misao was the first to vocalize that Kaoru was awake.

"Kaoru?" Yahiko mumbled, looking up. Sitting up, he gazed down at her sternly. "Busu! What took you so long to wake up?"

"Jou-chan, it's about time!"

Frankly, Kaoru was too busy trying to make sense of a few things.

"Yahiko," she mumbled, grogginess making it difficult to talk. "Shouldn't you be worse off than me?" Reaching up a bandaged hand, she ran it through his hair before he grasped it tightly and gently.

"After you damn near drained your soul to purify that damn sword?" he scoffed. "I don't think so."

"What?" Suffice to say, Kaoru was confused. She turned to Megumi again. "I thought you didn't leave your house?"

With a kitsune-like smile, she only said, "_Special circumstances, tanuki. Special circumstances. _"

"What?" Kaoru shifted in her bed, trying to sit up and only found her strength severely lacking.

"You should not try to move, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin reached over, not quite touching. "You have been through a lot, you have."

"What?" She was starting to sound like a broken record.

"_Weasel, start explaining things, _" Saitou commanded from the corner

It was rather amusing to see Misao twitch and squirm at the name "Itachi". Finally, Aoshi put a hand on her shoulder.

Calming, Misao started explaining things with interruptions and clarifications from Kenshin, Saitou, and Megumi.

Evidently, when Saitou had not only discovered the location of the sword that Shishio so wanted, he had also found the most likely candidate to have Shishio's lover's reincarnation. He followed her until he realized that she (Shishio) was heading for the shrine. Saitou had confronted her, but since he'd had no experience with the ghostly, he was woefully unprepared for what Shishiou - a demon - could do.

"_I rather enjoyed the chance to face him, _" was all Saitou would say in the matter.

Of course, since the Oniwabanshu had specters keeping an eye on the Kamiya siblings, once they reached the shrine, Misao and Aoshi had hurried over.

"But you were physically there," Kaoru stated. "So was Kenshin. Aren't you spirits? Or guardians?"

"_We can physically manifest for brief periods, though it should only be done in the most dire of circumstances, _" Aoshi explained. "_It takes a great deal of energy, but we also have more power for doing things in the physical world when we manifest. _"

"_Like kicking Shishio's ass! _" Misao exclaimed.

Kaoru provided a flat stare. "As I recall, Shishio got into the room where the sword was. Are you sure you were kicking his ass?"

"Once that sword was purified, they sure did," Yahiko retorted, his eyes aglitter. "That had to be the best battle to see! Spirits appearing and throwing everything they had at that woman-turned Shishio, it was like some supernatural samurai epic!"

Kaoru didn't dignify that with a response. Until her brain kicked in. "Wait, you saw that? Last I saw, you weren't in the best of places to be seeing anything, let alone follow me into the temple for a fight!"

"We were thrown out of the temple, we were," Kenshin offered. "When you purified the sword, this one and the others were pushed out of the temple."

"_And with the power of Shishio locked in the sword gone, the brat here didn't burn the fudo off. He was quite the cheerleader during that last bit. _" Misao beamed. "_Now who's telling this story? _"

So Kenshin, Misao, and Aoshi kicked butt while Saitou watched and Tomoe kept her brother safe. Meanwhile, what was happening to her? Evidently the cost of purification was severe draining of her soul. To dangerous levels.

"_You should have seen Himura fretting over you. _"

"Couldn't he use his mark on me to do something?"

"This one could not."

"_Not without draining you further. To use the mark, a spirit has to draw on some of the person's own strength, _" Megumi explained. "_So imagine my surprise when Misao showed up and dragged me from my home to a temple. Poor Sanosuke was once more running around like a rooster with his head cut off. _"

Misao and Megumi grinned. "Sano," Kaoru asked. "What happened?"

Said rooster turned beat red and violently shook his head. "No way! You're not hearing that story from me!"

"_Suffice to say that it was yet another situation in the shower, _" Megumi stated with a big grin. "_He was worried about you. He arrived at the shrine when they were taking you and Yahiko away in the ambulance, but we haven't gotten there yet in the story. _"

As it turned out, Megumi, because she was to be a doctor and because she was such a powerful spirit, had some talents she hadn't known about. With Misao and Aoshi coaching her, she was able to stabilize Kaoru's soul and set it into a healing slumber. Similarly, with Shishio dead, Megumi was also able to help repair the damage Shishio's mark had made on Yahiko's soul, with the help of Tomoe.

"Where is Tomoe?" Kaoru asked

"She's still at the temple," Sanosuke replied. "Evidently that battle had quite a few fireworks. The police were bugging her with questions while the EMTs were looking at you and the brat here-"

"Hey!"

"-and the firefighters were putting out a few small blazes that were around the temple. She has a lot to fix and take care of."

Kaoru groaned. "Of _course_, the police will have questions..."

"_Nope, _" Misao smiled. "_I possessed the lead investigator, and once Saitou saw how to do it, he took over my right-hand man. Together, we cooked up a nice, believable story. Nobody will be asking questions about this incident, you'll be fine. _"

Somehow, the thought of Saitou and Misao working together to make a story didn't seem comforting.

"_Tomoe-san has asked that you and Yahiko visit the temple again. She thinks she might be able to help you and Yahiko better control your abilities, _" Aoshi added.

"Really?" Kaoru gasped. Oh, that would be on huge weight off her shoulders if that was true!

"Yup," her brother agreed. "She was talking about it with me before the ambulance arrived."

"You can hear Aoshi-san?"

"No, but I've been around all _these_ ghosts long enough to start getting a basic idea of what they're saying."

"I'm so proud of you." Yahiko turned bright red and sputtered.

"_Getting back to the story_," Misao interjected.

While all these people were buzzing around the temple, including the head priest who pulled Tomoe off to discuss what had really happened, Sanosuke arrived, huffing and puffing from all those damnable steps, demanding where the Kamiya kids were. Misao and Saitou had both had a great deal of fun questioning him while Kaoru and Yahiko were taken to the hospital with Megumi and Kenshin to be treated. And of course, Sanosuke didn't know that the two officers were really spirits.

Both Kaoru and Yahiko couldn't help laughing.

"It's a lie!" Sano cried out, only guessing at what was being talked about.

Laughter finally dying down, she asked, "So what happens now?"

"_You rest, _" Megumi said firmly. "_You and Yahiko both need it. _"

"_Your life goes back to normal, _" Aoshi replied. "_You go back to school. Graduate. Move on. Yukishiro-san will help you with your gift_."

"Will we ever see you guys again?" Despite knowing these people for such a short time, they had all done so much to help her and her brother so much. It would feel wrong if they just...left.

Misao smiled brightly. "_You think I'd miss the girl talks you, Megumi, and I had? Hell no! _I_ at least, will drop by again. Of course, Aoshi-sama will come as well. _" Aoshi didn't reply.

"_You'll get in trouble if I don't investigate things, _" Saitou said flatly.

"This one will not be going anywhere." Kenshin smiled. "With Shishio destroyed, this one has no shrine to guard. So this one will do as he did in life, he will. Protect those within his sight."

"He's already started," grinned Yahiko. "When I woke up, he marked me. Now neither of us have to worry about nasty demons doing anything to us!"

Aoshi turned. "_A nurse is going to come in. _"

All conversation ceased as said nurse came in. "Ah, Kamiya-san, you're awake," she said. "Let's see how those burns are yes? And you, Kamiya-kun, need to be in your own room."

* * *

Life did indeed go back to normal after that. Kaoru was able to graduate and get a job to put her brother through college. Yahiko in turn, once he got a job, put Kaoru through college to help her run a dojo in town. Tomoe was an immense help with their gifts, and both Kamiya children ended up helping what ghosts they could find (assuming, of course, they asked politely.) Yahiko eventually married his high school sweetheart and moved into Megumi's house, after Sanosuke left to travel the world. Kaoru and her husband remained in what they called Kenshin's house, even though the rurouni was never seen within the walls. 

Both Kamiya children led full, happy lives. Yahiko was only briefly saddened when Kaoru passed on. They had both trained their children and grandchildren that had the gift, and to see Kaoru, arguably the best teacher, pass on, was sad. But Yahiko couldn't be sad for long. She would constantly check up on him, the heavy feeling of kendo armor, as well as their children. And she was with Kenshin. Yahiko doubted that Kaoru could be any happier.

* * *

**Owari  
End**

**Author's Notes**: Please remember that Kaoru is one of our favorites. We completely agree that she and Kenshin go together and, if you squint, they are at the end. Remember, there is the whole Kaoru's-alive-Kenshin's-not difference. Plus, it gives them time to get to know each other and grow up. Kaoru's just a senior in high school, and while some couples may be able to marry that young and last, we prefer people being a smidge older. And Kenshin's from a whole different time period with differeng values and the like. Could a man from Meiji really be able to handle a modern woman? He needs some time to adjust to the now as opposed to when he died. Neither of them are "ready" for a relationship like that. Besides, Kaoru's children and grandchildren need to know she's around from time to time.

This story was a real stretch for us. We don't really do "modern" fics, preferring magic and fantasy settings. We tried to balance those "with" gifts and those "without", such as how Sano and Megumi interacted, even though Sano couldn't see and hear her. There was also making sure that you, as the reader, understood that what Kaoru and Yahiko do is _not_ normal, and that people look at them funny.

We also stretched our creative muscles in trying to shorten gaps in time. So often in stories and fanfics, the momumental happens in the span of a few days. People don't fall in love that fast. You can't _deal_ with stuff that fast. It takes time. Similarly, Kenshin and Shishio didn't wake up and say "Good, I need to get to work." They needed time to gather their strength, remember a few things, research on what the current time period was like, etc. All we saw of Kenshin in the first chapter was a streak of red hair floating across Kaoru's vision. And, while we wanted a slower pace, we didn't want to go at a snail's pace with angst and brooding filling chapter upon chapter.

So our experiment has been completed. As we've said before, something feels off when we read through this. Something's missing, but we can't place what. . But it is a fun story to read and there are parts that just make us smile. (Heated Stones conversation, Kaoru/Yahiko in the hospital/infirmary, that last battle.) Now about what some of you have said:

**nebulia**: Glad you liked our take on Saitou. He's a hard nut to crack.

**FantasyAddict**: Yep, Kaoru had a good balance of things to help them win in the end. That was something that kinda hit Image at the keyboard and we ran with it. We're happy you liked the results.

**iluvchocs**: Ah yes, those bloody snap-your-fingers-now-you-have-ultimate-power-and-know-how-to-use-it types. Ick. We avoid those wherever we can. That's why Kaoru struggled through the temple to even _find_ the damn sword. That's why Tomoe tutored her and Yahiko to help the control their gifts. They've been flying blind for years and have come up with _some_ coping mechanisms, but things have definately improved with proper training.

**IchikoKitsuneKoumori**: We don't know if Saitou had unfinished business or not. Does he want to watch over Tokio for a while? Or any kids if they have any? What about all around curiosity on how this would finish? Maybe he's putting off going into the light for a few minutes. But this is Saitou. He won't tell us anything.

**sestrilla**: See above notes on Kenshin/Kaoru. We're glad you're enjoying.

**TrisakAminawn**: Charring is dead skin? Oops. We do try to be accurate in any fic we write, but we obviously missed the ball on that one... The funny thing is we have a vampire fic with details about the blood condition and we were complitmented on how our medical justifications made sense. Ah well, live and learn.

Hehehe, glad you liked Kaoru/Yahiko sibling moments. We're fond of those ourselves. Yahiko is a character that often seems overlooked in fanfiction. He's part of the nuclear family unit that Kenshin/Kaoru/Yahiko have going on, and as such, is an essential part of any interaction between Kenshin and Kaoru. But. He's. Never. There. Sigh. Is he a brat? Yes. The same way Sano is tactless. That doesn't mean that they are there for comical relief only, it means that they have characters worth exploring, since they're a little different than the average brat/jerk. We somewhat regret not having Sano in the story more, especially since he's pure human with no special talents. But he wasn't speaking to us. Sorry. We got on our soapbox again...

Ah, thank you for the grammar points. Those always help. We try and write what "sounds" right, given that we've read a LOT of books over the years, but every so often, the speech pattern we grew up around infiltrates and grammar check doesn't catch it. Thank you again. We like learning and growing, so it's not annoying when someone points out mistakes that we can fix.

We're glad you liked the scene with Saitou. As we've said, he's a hard one to understand. And yes, Kenshin interacts anyway he can. Besides, he's a character that is so very strong in stories, it was kinda nice to see him a little more muted this time around. He's still very essentail to the story, but now he's not the only one saving the world.

Ah, you figured out it was Yumi? Nice! Well...her descendant/incarnation. How Saitou found her is something he refuses to tell us. We've poked him, prodded him, and offered him a fight with Battousai, but he won't tell us how. And yes, several weeks is going by. Like we said above, people needed time to deal.

You like our characterizatins? Good. We're doing something right.

**emichan, Reignashii, Mala Valah**: We're glad you've enjoyed our little story. We hope this explains everything left and that there aren't any more loose ends. (We can't see any, at any rate...)  



End file.
